Minero Region Adventures!
by Justy1993
Summary: Meet Justin Riser. An exuberant, yet dramatic young boy who barely passes his trainer exam to become a Pokemon Trainer. His adventures take him to a new region called Minero, where he meets new friends (the timid but sweet Aly Eatos), new Pokemon and new challenges (the controversial Team Immortal) a long the way. Original Character Story. Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.
1. Chapter 1 - New Beginnings

_**A/N: Hello people who decide to read this story. This is my first ever attempt at writing a story/fanfic. I enjoy Pokemon and thought it would be cool to write my own story about new characters and their adventures. If you are reading, please feel free to review after. I would say I'm an ok writer, but not an expert or what so ever. So, i'm very open to constructive criticism on writing techniques, story development ideas, etc.**_

**Chapter 1 – New Beginnings**

It seemed like just a normal night in Revo Town. A gentle breeze blowing through the air, the odd streetlight not lit and people strolling around the city.

"_Wait, could that be..." _Justin Riser thought looking down from his room, adrenaline running through his mind.

Justin looked on, as the shadowed figure appeared into the light from the darkness.

"_Oh, just the garbage man..." _thought Justin, very disappointed of what he saw.

Tomorrow was his 15th birthday, and the day he start his Pokémon journey tomorrow. But, Justin felt more sadness and worries then happiness the past few days.

"It seems like it was just yesterday that I got my Pokemon Trainer's license," Justin said to himself. He then looked up to the sky and dipped into his memories.

"Please Mister, you got to let me in!" Justin begged as he knelt before the exam proctor, pulling on his jacket.

"Mr. Riser, I'm sorry but you failed the test. You'll have to try again next year to obtain your Pokemon Trainer's license," the proctor said.

"I got a 49! Can't you bump it up to a pass?"

"Hmmm, I don't know..."

"But sir! This is my dream! I need to go on this journey! Won't you please make an exception this one time?" Justin rambled on.

"Well...All right fine. You're in Mr. Riser." The proctor sighed.

"ALL RIGHT!" Justin shouted happily as he jumped for joy. "Thank you so much sir!"

"Congratulations young man. Here is your temporary trainer pass. You'll need to bring that to the register's office before the end of this week. You'll receive a package containing documents you'll need and that explain other important details." The proctor explained.

"Sounds good! Again, thank you so much!" Justin said.

Justin had never been happier in his life. That day he became an officially certified Pokemon Trainer and would start his journey in the Minero Region.

Once a kid turns 15, they are eligible to start a Pokémon journey in the mysterious Minero Region, where Pokemon from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh can be found. They start later than most kids in the Pokémon regions, but at least they get to pursue their dreams.

Justin looked back down at the ledge he was leaning against. Tears formed under his eyes.

"_What am I going to do now...?" _Justin thought to himself. "_Where's Dad?"_

And with that, another trip down memory lane occurred.

"Really? You mean it Dad?" Justin asked.

"Of course son! I know you'll do great on the exam in a few weeks. So, you're mother and I decided that now would be a great time to get you the Pokemon you'll start out with on your journey!" Justin's father explained.

"Wow, thank you so much Dad!" Justin said happily.

"Now Atticus dear, I've packed all your things for your trip in the bag down the stairs." Justin's mom said.

"Thanks Cheryl! Now Justin, I'll be back from Kanto as soon as I can with your new Pokemon!" Atticus said.

"Ok! Can I know which Pokemon it will be?" Justin asked curiously.

"It's a surprise!" Atticus said with a wink.

"Awww...ok..."

"Don't worry; it's going to be good whatever you get. All right Justin, see ya in a week!" Atticus said waving goodbye to his son. He then gave Justin's mother a hug and kiss goodbye before walking out the door.

"Mom, do you know which Pokemon he'll be getting?" Justin asked.

"I don't know honey. But, I'm sure it'll be a good one!" Justin mom exclaimed.

That was the last time anyone saw Justin's father since he left 4 weeks ago. It was like he disappeared, gone from their lives.

Atticus went away on many business trips during the year to the Pokemon-populated regions. What he did there exactly, Justin didn't know. Atticus went away so often that he wasn't home all that much. He was always true to his word when setting a timeline to come back home though. But about 2 weeks ago, he sent a letter back to Justin's house. It was a rather short and to-the-point document as it read:

"_Dear Family,_

_I'll be in the Minero Region for an extended period of time. Don't know when I'll be back._

_- Atticus"_

Justin's father was going to stay at the Kanto region for an unknown period of time. Even after the promise he made to Justin, Atticus managed to let him down the time his son needed him the most. This killed Justin, and also gave him a big dilemma.

In the Eruva Region, the chance of wild Pokemon appearing is about 1000 to 1. The last wild Pokemon spotted was about 7 years ago, and it was captured by the Eruva Government to send back to a more Poke-Populated region. But, the Eruva Unified Government (EUG) has recognized the dreams of kids wanting to become Pokemon trainers. Most of the parents were Pokemon trainers themselves before moving to Eruva and want their children to experience a journey of their own in the Pokemon world. That is why Eruva has implemented a legal procedure that kids must follow In order for kids to start their journey. First, they must receive an education diploma so that kids could go on to higher educational institutes and later apply for city jobs after their journeys. Upon this, they have to write a formal examination that test many competencies such as knowledge on Pokemon, ability to make quick & smart decisions, how they would handle by themselves, etc. If passed, the successful few will journey into a special region called Minero. It is a unique place where weather was very pleasant and the geographic conditions made it ideal for Pokemon to live in.

Second, Eruva Region kids must have their own Pokemon to start their journey. Due to the lack of Pokemon in Eruva, the EUG created a government fund for parents whose kids were planning to become Pokemon Trainers. It was an amount of money that allowed parents to travel to other regions and catch Pokemon for their children. Sure, it wasn't the official first Pokemon of the kid, but usually they become the most important to them. Most of the kids Justin knew going to Minero already had their Pokemon.

Unfortunately for him, his dad hasn't returned with his, which he needed in order to start his journey. Just then, Justin's Mom opened the door.

"Honey, are you all right?" she asked concernedly.

"What am I going to do Mom?" Justin said helplessly.

"Oh Justin...I'm very sorry."

"It's ok Mom. It's not your fault." Justin said, looking down to sulk.

Justin had no Pokemon with him to start his journey. This could have cause a major problem for Justin which may include being sent back to Eruva and waiting another year.

"I'm going to go anyway Mom," Justin said looking back up at her.

"Are you sure? You know you don't have your own Pokemon yet. They'll send you back here." she said worriedly.

"I know, but I won't let that stop me from my goal of being the greatest Pokemon trainer in the world."

"But...Justin..."

"Trust me Mom, Don't worry, I'll find a way around this," Justin said. He put his hands on his mom's shoulders, giving her a reassured look.

"...Ok Justin, you go get 'em," Justin's mom smiled softly.

"Thanks Mom!" Justin said excitedly as he embraced his mom in a hug. "I promise I won't let you down."

"All right Justin, I think it's time for you to go to bed. You've got a big day ahead of you."

"Right!" Justin said as he let go of his mother. "Goodnight Mom."

"Goodnight honey," Justin's mom replied. She then turned around and left his room. Justin then got back to packing his stuff. He packed some clothes and other handy camping things into his backpack. Justin looked back onto his desk to see his trainer's pass and ferry ticket lying there.

"_Can't forget these_," Justin thought to himself. He put them into the side pouch of his bag.

After packing up everything Justin could think of, he changed into his PJ's and settled underneath the bed sheets.

"_Well, tomorrow is the big day. Can't wait to start this,_" Justin thought. It was only a matter of time before he fell into a sleep that would lead him to the most important day of his life.

"Justin, we're here now," Justin's mom quietly said, waking him from his sleep.

Justin slowly opened his eyes, as the sunlight was too strong to open them quickly. He had fallen asleep in the car on the way to the harbour. Once fully opened, he saw the blue ocean to his right. The place was busy with many people walking around. Justin removed his dark grey jacket lying on top of him and got out of the car. He then got out of the car and felt the nice breeze against his arms. The sun was shining and the outdoor weather was warm. It was a perfect day to ship towards the Minero region.

"Are you ready Justin?" His mother asked him.

"Yeah, I think so," Justin replied.

"Oh honey, I'm going to miss you," she said sadly.

"I'm going to miss you too mom. Don't worry, I'll keep in touch. There are video phones in the Pokemon centres, so I'll call every now and then. I'm going to win the whole Minero League and bring you home a nice trophy!"

"That's my Justin!" his mother said happily. "By the way, have you figured out what you're going to do about the Pokemon situation?"

"No...But I'll think of something. Count on it!"

"All right, well good luck Justin. I'm so proud of you. Try your best and please be careful out there."

"Thanks mom. I love you," Justin said as he hugged his mother. Just then, the boat horn rang loudly.

Justin looked up at his mom. "Well, I guess I should go now," he said.

"Yeah," his mom replied, slowly letting go of her son. "Make sure you give me a call within the first few days of you arriving in Minero."

"Got it Mom. I'll be sure to do it when I get a chance. Bye!" Justin said. He then turned around and walked towards the ship. He flashed his ticket at the attendant, who then guided him to the upper deck. He went towards the railing and leaned against it. Justin saw his mother down below on the port. They both waved to each other as the boat slowly sailed away. Once she was out of sight, Justin then faced the front of the ship in the direction where Minero was.

"_Finally...my real journey begins." _Justin thought to himself.

He had just completed the first step towards following his dream of becoming a Pokemon Master.


	2. Chapter 2 - A Bond is Formed

_**A/N: Hello to those of you who are reading this. It feels good to see that people are actually clicking on my story to view/read it. Here is the next chapter. Again, review if you feel you have to say anything (hopefully no flames lol).**_

* * *

**Chapter 2 – A Bond is Formed**

The ferry just arrived at the port of Mineral Town in the Minero Region. There were a bunch of ships all around docked at their respective aisle with many people walking around the area.

'_Man, thank god that boat ride is over' _thought a wobbly Justin.

Boats had never been his thing due to his re-occurring motion sickness. Justin quickly shook it off though. It was a beautiful day in Mineral Town today with nice comfortable weather. The cool breeze was pleasant as it blew through his long dark brown hair. The sun shined brightly down on him which made his tanned skin glow. He stepped off the boat and onto the harbour, put on his dark grey jacket and grabbed his trainer's pass and Poke-guide from his bag to figure out what to do next.

"All right, it looks like I have to go to Professor Rose's Lab in order to register myself for the Minero League!" Justin shouted out loud while raising his fist in the air

'_If I had my own Pokemon that is..." _ He then dropped his head lower, let out a big sigh after. Justin needed to find a Pokemon quick if he wanted to start his journey.

"Hmmm. Well, maybe I'll just look around the area first." Justin started walking from the harbour and into the city. There were a lot of local shops and restaurants located in this town. Pokemon merchandise was displayed outside every second store. There were a lot less business people and more Pokemon trainers and families with kids, unlike the Eruva Region. He noticed that all the buildings had a gray-ish colour theme to them too. As Justin walked down the streets, he saw a bunch of the trainers had a Pokemon travelling next to them out of their ball. One kid had a Tailow sitting on his shoulder, while one girl carried a Marill in her arms.

"This place is nothing like the Eruva region. It kinda rocks!" Justin smirked.

"Hello there and welcome to Mineral Town!" a perky woman shouted as she popped up right in front of Justin.

"Whoa! Uh, hi there," Justin said startled.

"Are you new around these parts?"

"Actually, I am."

"Yeah, I figured. You look a bit lost. Well, here's a map of the town. Its main attractions are highlighted in yellow, so be sure to check them out."

"Oh wow, thanks so much miss," Justin smiled as he received the map from her.

"If I were to guess, you're here from the Eruva Region to start your Pokemon journey," the lady exclaimed.

"That's me! Name is Justin Riser! My dream is to be a Pokemon Master!" Justin said with some energy.

"Haha, I knew it! Well, you should be on your way to Professor Rose's Lab. It's just down this street here. You can't miss it, the big white building with 2 towers beside it." The woman explained as she pointed down the street.

"Oh...yeah...I will," Justin mumbled quietly.

"You ok dear?"

"Ye...yeah! Don't worry, I'm fine. I'll go there right now!" Justin said quickly.

"Well, all right. Good luck in all of you adventures, Enjoy you stay here in the one and only Mineral Town!" the lady said happily. She then turned around and skipped along in the opposite direction.

Justin continued to walk around town until he reached a residential area filled with small houses. This area was nothing like the houses in Eruva. Most of the places people lived in were either penthouse apartments or condos. Justin continued his walk down the neighbourhood before coming across a big building with 2 towers between them in the distance.

"There's Professor Rose's Lab," Justin exclaimed. He then looked downwards and sulked.

"Ohhh...WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME!" Justin shouted to the air.

He was still without a Pokemon of his own. He couldn't delay his journey any longer, but he can't stay in Mineral Town forever. Justin then made up his made as he was going to go to the Lab anyway to confess his story.

"Hey, maybe she'll let me off easy..." Justin said. But, that happening was a long shot. If Justin didn't have a Pokemon of his own, he could be sent back home to Eruva. He might have to wait a whole year before the next time.

"Well, let's go." Justin started walking towards the lab when he overhead some yelling.

"_I wonder what that was_," Justin thought to himself. He ran about 2 blocks down the neighbourhood to find a boy around his age with short brown hair and what looked to be a Pokemon.

"You're out of here Eevee." The boy said coldly towards the Pokemon.

"...Ee..." Eevee said quietly in disbelief. It looked very tired and in serious pain. It tried to walk over to the boy, but fell over and laid there.

"Later..." The boy remarked as he turned around to walk away.

"Hey!" yelled Justin as he ran in their direction until he was right beside the Pokémon

"NO WAY! It's an Eevee!" He exclaimed in pure excitement. He kneeled down to see it before realizing the current situation at hand. The boy stopped and turned around to see who called him.

"What do you want?'" the boy asked rudely.

"Why are you just walking away? Your Pokemon looks like it's in really bad shape. You should bring it to a Pokemon Centre!" Justin stated back.

"That Eevee is too weak for me to have anymore. It couldn't keep up with my training and lost every single battle it fought. It's clear that it will never be good enough."

"What? How could you say that...that's so not cool," Justin replied. "Who are you?"

"Not that it matters but my name is Ron, and I'm out of here," the boy said as he started to walk away into the distance.

"_Who does he think he is?" _Justin thought as he examined the injured Pokemon. Bruises and scratches were all over its body. He then took off his jacket and wrapped it around Eevee to give it some comfort. He picked it up into his arms.

"Don't worry Eevee, let's get you to Professor Rose's Lab, she'll know what to do."

Justin started running towards the lab as fast as he could. Eevee opened its eyes and looked up at Justin.

"Ee..." it cried weakly.

Justin stopped, looked down at it quickly and smiled. "Don't worry, I promise you're going to be fine," he re-assured it, and started running again. The Eevee then smiled, and nestled its head into Justin's arms. Dark clouds started to form in the sky. Within a matter of seconds, rain began to pour down with the sound of thunder rumbling.

"Great...I better hurry to Professor Rose's lab." Justin said as he began to pick up the pace.

After about 10 minutes of running through the storm, they finally arrived. Justin ran straight through the front entrance all soaking wet.

"Professor! Professor, it's an emergency!" Justin yelled in the building. Moments later a man in a white lab coat appeared running the stairs.

"I'm Professor Rose's assistant Cal, what is it?" he asked.

"Cal, this Eevee is badly injured, please help it," Justin asked desperately as he showed the man Eevee.

"Oh my, the poor thing. Quick, come with me and we'll bring it to the lab table." Cal said rushing towards the back. Justin followed him into a room that had many high tech machines and a central white table.

"I'm going to get Professor Rose. You place Eevee on the table and watch it."

"Ok."

"By the way, what's your name son?" Cal asked.

"Justin, sir" Justin replied.

"All right, hang tight" Cal said as he rushed through the door. Justin turned around and placed Eevee on the table. The Pokemon was curled up in Justin's jacket, presumably sleeping.

"You're going to be just fine Eevee," Justin said calmly as he massaged its head.

'_I wonder who that guy Ron is.' _Justin thought to himself.

After a few minutes, a lady with long red hair, a white lab coat and heels came rushing in. It was Professor Rose.

"Where's the Eevee?" she asked.

Justin pointed towards the table. Professor Rose quickly examined it.

"Hmmm, all right, we're going to go into the emergency room. Young man, I'm going to have to ask you to wait in that room there" she said, pointing towards the back room.

"Sure, just help Eevee get better," Justin said

"I'll do my best." Rose put Eevee on a cart and moved it into the Emergency room.

'_It's been 30 minutes, I hope everything is ok' _Justin thought to himself.

He sat in the same place the entire time Eevee was in the Emergency room. About 10 minutes later, the door opened and Professor Rose entered.

"Well, what's the situation Professor?" Justin asked worriedly

"Eevee is going to be just fine. We gave it some medicine to help with its recovery. It's going to need a good rest, but it should be back to normal after" assured Professor Rose

"That's awesome! Thank you so much Professor!" Justin exclaimed as he went to give the Professor a high-five. It caught her of guard for a moment, but she then understood and returned it.

"No worries. If you want you can go in and see Eevee."

"Ok sure."

Professor Rose walked out of the room while Justin walked in to where Eevee was napping. Justin sat on the stool besides the bed and leaned towards Eevee.

"Ee..." Eevee cried out quietly, waking up from its sleep.

"Hey Eevee, I hope you're feeling better," Justin said.

"Ee, Ee-vy" Eevee cried softly, slowly letting a smile come through, and then going back to sleep.

Justin smiled as he was so happy that Eevee would be ok. He was exhausted from the commotion; he rested his head onto the bed and fell asleep. Professor Rose then came in.

"Oh, young man? Are you- oh" She cut herself off when she saw Justin sleeping near the Eevee, who was also resting. Professor Rose smiled.

"Well, I'll explain it to him when he wakes up." She giggled as she then left the room

About an hour past by and the weather looked a lot better than before. The sun was shining through the window & into Eevee's recovery room. The rays landed right on Eevee's face, which caused it to wake up. When it opened its eyes, it saw Justin resting his head on the bed. He had slept right by Eevee's side. Eevee got up from under the sheets and walked right up to Justin. It started to nuzzle its face against Justin.

"Ee-vy!," it cried softly and happily.

Justin slowly started to wake up after a soft, furry feeling on his face. He opened his eyes only to see Eevee.

"Eevee! You're ok!" Justin exclaimed. He sat right back up on the chair.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out happily. It then jumped towards Justin's chest. He quickly caught Eevee in his arms as it snuggled up against him.

"I'm so glad you're ok!" Justin said as he hugged Eevee close to his chest. "Why don't we go see Professor Rose for a quick check-up?"

"Vu-Vuee!" Eevee nodded.

They both went downstairs to the Professor Rose's lab room. Justin found her working on her computer in her main office.

"Oh, hello there Justin," Professor Rose said as she saw them walk through the door.

"Hey Professor!"

"Ee-vy!" Eevee said.

"Oh Eevee! Glad to see you're better," Professor Rose exclaimed. She then got up from her chair and walked towards Justin.

"Justin, it was great of you to bring Eevee here when you did. If you had come later, it may have been a different story," Professor Rose said.

"Aw, I was just glad I could help. I did what any other trainer would have done," Justin explained. "Or, what most of them would do..."

"What was that?"

"...Oh, it was nothing."

"So, are you a new trainer?" Professor Rose asked.

"Sure am! Justin Riser from Eruva has arrived!" Justin replied with some flare. Professor Rose had a sweat drop appear on the back of her head

"Oh...that's...wonderful! Well, shall we get you registered for Minero League?"

"Uh...well..."

"Hold that thought. I just remembered I need to feed Eevee its medicine first!" Professor Rose interrupted.

They both walked to the mini fridge located in the back. Professor Rose bent over and opened the door to get the medicine. She opened the cap, grabbed a spoon and poured some into it.

"Can you place Eevee on the table please?"The professor asked politely.

"Sure," Justin replied. He then set the Pokemon on the table facing Professor Rose while she lifted the spoon towards Eevee's mouth. Eevee reluctantly ate the medicine and swallowed it. It gave a cringed look at first, but put back on a smile right after.

"There you go. That wasn't so bad right? You're all done!" Professor Rose said as she petted Eevee's head.

"Ee-vuee!" it cried out smiling.

"Well, now that that's settled, shall we register you for the Minero League?" Professor Rose suggested to Justin.

"Actually Professor, there's something I need to talk to you about," Justin said nervously.

"Oh...what is it?"

"Well, you see...I'm from the Eruva region and just arrived here to today to start my journey. Unfortunately, I don't have the necessary requirements to do so.' Justin explained.

"Did you leave your trainer's pass at home? You know you can have it sent here via email," Professor Rose exclaimed.

"No, it's not that..."

"Then what is it? From what I know, Eruva beginning trainers just need their trainer's pass and a Pokemon. And seeing how you have both, I don't understand your concern," Professor Rose said confused.

"But Professor, what your missing from here is that Eevee isn't my Pokemon," Justin answered.

"Oh...really?"

"Yeah, you see. I passed my exam and got my trainer's pass. My father went on a journey to the Kanto region to help me obtain a starting Pokemon for this journey. Unfortunately, he bailed and stayed in Kanto without much of an explanation. So, I came here without a Pokemon, hoping to find one before coming to this lab. I'm really sorry."

"I see..."

"I'M REALLY REALLY SORRY! I KNOW I SHOULD HAVE A POKÉMON, BUT...BUT..." Justin spazzed out before Professor Rose put her finger on his mouth, preventing him from going on anymore.

"So ...is this a wild Eevee?" Professor Rose asked.

"...Um...no actually. There's more to this story. When I arrived here, I came across the sight of a trainer releasing Eevee for being weak. It was badly injured so I brought it here."

"That's awful."

"Vuie..." Eevee said sadly as it lower its head down. Professor Rose then leaned down towards Eevee and started to gently ruffle the fur on its head.

"My dear Eevee, you don't have to worry about him anymore," Professor Rose said to Eevee.

Eevee let out a small smile. It then jumped towards Justin, who caught it in his arms. Justin then began to stroke Eevee's fur, comforting the Pokemon.

"Don't worry Eevee, I'm here for you," Justin said with a smile.

Eevee then looked up at him and cracked a big smile. "Ee-vy!"

"You know Justin. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought Eevee was your first Pokemon." Professor Rose exclaimed.

Justin looked up at her surprised. "WHAT? You really think so?"

"Well, it certainly looks like Eevee likes you and is comfortable around you. It must be very grateful for what you did for it today."

"...Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Which is why I'm going to suggest that you take Eevee as your first Pokemon," Professor Rose exclaimed.

"Wow, really!?"

"Of course! If it's ok with Eevee that is," Professor Rose giggled. Justin then looked down at Eevee in his arms. Eevee looked up as their eyes met.

"What do you say Eevee? You want to come on a journey with me?" Justin asked.

"Ee-vuee, Ee, Ee-vuee!" Eevee cried out happily as it licked Justin's face.

"Well, looks like you just got your first Pokemon Justin." Professor Rose smiled. Justin then raised Eevee up in the air in his hands.

"Wow Eevee, thank you! Thank you so much!" Justin said gratefully. He then embraced Eevee with a hug. "I owe you one pal! I promise, I will treat you with care and respect. From now on, you and I will be partners."

"Ee-vy!"

"Well Justin. Now that you have your first Pokemon, why don't we pick up where we left off and register you for the Minero League," Professor Rose suggested.

"Oh yeah! For sure!" Justin said happily.

They both walked over to her computer which she turned on and accessed the registration. She then pressed some buttons which brought her to a lot of different pages.

"Could I see the Trainer's pass you received after your entrance exam?" Professor Rose asked.

"For sure!" Justin exclaimed. He reached into his pocket and grabbed the crumpled up pass. The professor took it from him and entered in the numbers written on it. After about a few minutes, the screen showed that Justin was approved.

"All right, you're all set! Now just come with me for a few more things." Professor Rose exclaimed.

She got up from her chair and led Justin to the other room with a giant machine. There was a table located to the right which had what looked like Pokeballs and a Pokedex. Professor Rose picked up the Pokedex and inserted it into one of the input drives on the machine. After a few beeping sounds she took it out, grabbed the 6 mini Pokeballs from the table and handed it to Justin.

"Here are your Pokedex and Pokeballs. Obviously you know you use these balls to hold, carry and capture Pokemon you encounter. This Pokedex here will help you learn more about Pokemon. This includes their name, description, moves, types, etc. It will also serve as you new ID. So don't lose it." Professor Rose explained.

"I got it Professor, thank you." Justin said. He then placed Eevee on the floor and received the Pokeballs and Pokedex from her. Justin placed the Pokedex and 5 Pokeballs in his Pockets, leaving one in his hand. He pressed the button to expand it.

"Eevee, this is your ball. You're my very first Pokemon ever so this one is special." Justin said as he knelt down in front of Eevee.

"Vu-Vuee!," Eevee nodded. Justin lightly tapped Eevee on the head with the Pokeball which activated it. It opened up and shot out a red light that engulfed the Pokemon. The light brought Eevee into the Pokeball which then shook 3 times before sitting still. Justin turned the ball around so it faced him.

"Let's go...Eevee." Justin said softly.

Justin and Professor Rose walked out of the lab and through the front door.

"Now Justin, the first city you should go to is Amethyst City. It's just north of here along Route 401. There's a gym there that I recommend you challenge to earn your first badge." Professor Rose explained.

"Sounds good Professor," Justin said. Just then, he felt and heard a Pokeball latched onto his belt open. He looked down and out came Eevee onto the ground.

"Eevee, how come you came out of your Pokeball?" Justin asked it.

"Ee-vuee, Ee!" Eevee cried out as it jumped in the air and onto Justin's shoulder.

"Oh, I see. You wanted to hang out here with me, didn't you?"

"Vu-Vy!"

"You'll find that Pokemon have all sorts of different personalities," Professor Rose exclaimed.

"I'll keep that in mind Professor. Anyway, I should get going. Thank you so much for all of your help before!" Justin said as he reached for hand and continuously bowed to her.

"_My...this boy sure is full of energy. He'll be just fine I bet..." _she thought to herself.

"Heh...You're most welcome Justin. You take care and best of luck on your journey. Be sure to call in to update me on your progress when you have time."

"I will! Goodbye Professor!"

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out saying goodbye as well. Justin then turned around and started walking down the road with Eevee comfortably resting on his shoulder. They walked up out of the city and reached the top of a hill. Up ahead was a view of the long road ahead of them.

"This is it. My journey starts now. Man I am so stoked!" Justin exclaimed happily.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out happily. Justin looked at Eevee and placed his hand on the side of its face. The Pokemon nuzzled against it.

"Let's go Eevee," Justin said. He then started to run down the hill, ready to begin his journey in the world of Pokemon.


	3. Chapter 3 - Friend in Need

_**A/N: Hello again people. Chapter 3 is officially up. Hopefully the story so far is to your guy's liking (those of you who are following along). I'm having a blast writing this. Remember to review if you have something to say!**_

**Chapter 3 – Friends in Need**

"Go Pokeball!" Justin yelled out as he threw one of his Pokeballs at a wild Starly standing on the grass field. He was roughly about 15 feet away from the bird Pokemon with Eevee standing right next to him. The Pokeball opened up, surrounded the bird Pokemon in a red light and transferred it into the ball.

"Yes! I got it!"

The Pokeball wiggled back and forth a few times before opening back up and releasing the Pokemon.

"Wait what? I caught it though!" exclaimed a surprised Justin. The Starly proceeded to using gust and knocking Justin and Eevee backwards onto the ground. It shortly flew back up into the sky. Justin recovered and sat back up disgruntled.

"Man...What did I do wrong?" Justin whined. Eevee then poked his leg with its paw.

"Ee, Ee-vy! Vu-Vy," Eevee cried out while making certain attacking motions.

"Oh right...I got too excited in the moment, I forgot to battle it first...my bad!" Justin said as he chuckled softly. A sweat mark dropped from the back of Eevee's head as it sighed in disappointment.

* * *

Justin stopped at a nearby rock to sit down and rest from walking while Eevee ran towards the flowers to smell them. The pleasant breeze made the grass sway back and forward with the sun shining brightly down on them. Both of them had been travelling on Route 401 for about an hour now. Justin sat back and enjoyed the breeze blow through his hair, swaying it back and forth. Everything up to this point has been nothing short of open green grass fields and exquisite rock formations lying on the sides of the dirt path every few miles.

"_This is nothing like the Eruva region. Everything is so...open and scenic_. _There certainly are a lot of rocks here too_." He thought to himself.

He observed the open fields in awe. Where he lived for most of his life was the heavily populated city area surrounded by tall buildings and establishments. Justin didn't get to go out much due to the tight budgets of his parents, but was experiencing the rural areas now. Amethyst City was still about a few hours away, and the soreness of Justin's feet needed to be tended to with some rest. Eevee returned back and jumped on his lap.

"Well, we still got a ways to go before Amethyst City. I say we keep going until we reach the Pokemon Centre that's located around here. What do you say Eevee?" Justin asked, petting Eevee's head.

"Ee-vuie!" The Pokemon nodded in agreement. Eevee's fur shined brightly from the sunlight, showing it's health was pretty good. The injuries it had from its previous trainer seemed to be healing fast.

"Man, I can't believe I'm actually on a Pokemon journey now. This is amazing!"

He got up from the rock and started to walk down the dirt path with Eevee by his side. The Pokémon that usually appeared in this area, according to the Pokedex, were Pidgey, Rattata, Bidoof, Sentret and Starly. But since that first Starly a while back, there hasn't been anymore.

"_We should have seen more Pokemon by now,"_ Justin thought in his head. All of a sudden though, they saw a bush shaking. After awhile, a small orange-red chick-like creature came out with a berry in its mouth.

"No way, I think that's a Torchic!" Justin exclaimed. He quickly grabbed out his Pokedex to find out more about it.

"_**Torchic, the chick Pokémon. Torchic has a place inside its body that carries a small flame, making its body very warm."**_The pokedex stated.

"What's a Torchic doing out here? Whatever, this is so cool! I'm going to catch it!" Justin said all fired up. "Now, I got to actually remember this time...we have to battle a Pokemon first and weaken it before I catch it. So...let's go Eevee!"

"Vuie, Ee-vy!" Eevee jumped in front of Justin in a battle stance facing towards Torchic. Torchic ate the berry and got into a battle stance too. The battle was set, but just when Justin was about to call out the first attack, he heard a scream. This made him lose the focus of battling.

"Whoa, what was that?" Justin asked himself. Eevee looked around too. Justin knew what he had to do.

"C'mon Eevee, someone might be in trouble."

Eevee nodded and the 2 were off and away. Torchic stood back up with a confused look on its face.

"Tor-chic," it chirped, its head cocked slightly to the left.

* * *

About a few minutes away, Justin came across a girl kneeling towards what looked like an injured Pokémon on the side of the dirt path. She had a long blonde hair tied up while wearing a green and white sleeveless shirt and brown pants. She heard noise from behind her and turned around.

"Please, I need your help!"The girl begged. Justin and Eevee ran towards her as they surrounded the pokemon.

"What happened?" Justin asked.

"My Squirtle just suddenly became very ill. I don't know how, I don't know why. Sure Squirtle acted a bit strange the last couple of days, but about 5 minutes ago it just collapsed and seems to have this very high fever. I don't know what to do..."

"Don't you worry; Eevee and I will do our best to help!" Justin replied.

"Ee-vuie!"

The girl beamed of happiness. "You will? Thank you so much!"

"Ok, the first thing we should do is try to cool down Squirtle. Eevee, grab the water bottle from my bag."

The Pokemon scurried towards Justin's bag, grabbed the icy cool water bottle and ran back to Justin to give it to him.

"Thanks pal," Just said. He then grabbed some long grass, sprinkled some water onto it and placed it on top of Squirtle's head. "Keep this on its head," Justin explained as the girl followed his instructions.

"Ok, next thing is we should find a Pokemon Centre. It just so happens that there's one just down the path here, so let's go!" Justin exclaimed.

Everyone started running down the path. Eevee led the way while the girl ran while holding the cool wet leaves against Squirtle's head. They kept going until the girl tripped over a big rock and began to fall. Justin caught her at the last second, holding onto her waist with his hands.

"Whoa, that was a close one." Justin said with a smile.

"Yeah..." the girl replied, blushing a little.

The 2 continued to run towards the Pokemon Centre. Watching them from behind though was a familiar Pokemon.

Justin and the girl finally reached the Pokemon Centre and ran straight through the clear automated slide doors. It was a smaller Pokemon Centre then the one just saw in Mineral town, but seemed to still have all the necessary parts to it. The pink and red interior gave the room a pretty warm atmosphere, fitting for a centre for Pokemon health. They quickly made their way to the front desk and in front of Nurse Joy, who was wearing a pink nurse dress with a white headband that had a red plus on it.

"Nurse Joy! You've gotta help us. Please!" She yelled.

"Oh my, what seems to be the problem dear?" asked a concerned Nurse Joy

"My Squirtle has a very high fever after collapsing to the ground a while ago. I don't know how or why it got it. It was fine yesterday, but...please, you just gotta do something!"

"Don't you worry; we'll bring it to the emergency room now. Quick, Chansey, bring the stretcher here."

"Chansey!" A pink oval shaped Pokemon came around the corner with a stretcher. It then took the Squirtle from the girl's arms and gently placed it on the stretcher.

"All right Chansey, let's get to work," said Nurse Joy. "You two can wait in the green room while we operate. Don't worry, we'll do our best with Squirtle" Nurse Joy said. After that, they went straight through the door down the hall

"Well, all we can do now is wait," Justin remarked.

"_Yeah...,_" the girl thought.

"Come on, let's sit down."

The 2 made their way towards the benches along the wall. Justin observed her even more. She was a bit shorter than him, but smelled really nice. He sat on the first seat with Eevee curled up on his lap. The girl sat with her head looking down, obviously concerned for her Squirtle. Justin knew he needed to ease her concerns. He opened his backpack and grabbed something.

"Chocolate?" Justin offered.

"Sure, thanks," the girl said as she received a bar of chocolate.

"...so, umm, what's your name?"

"Oh...Aly. Aly Eatos. And yours?"

"Justin Riser is the name! I'm from Revo Town of the Eruva Region!" He announced happily

"Oh! The Eruva Region. I've heard of that place. Supposedly there's almost no Pokemon there."

"Actually, there are NO Pokemon living there. It's not an ideal place for Pokemon to live there with it being very industrialized."

"Oh wow, that's interesting." She remarked as she bit into her chocolate bar.

"Yeah, you kind of miss out on Pokemon as a kid though. Everything is about school there."

"Sounds boring."

"You think? Instead of Pokemon Masters, We train to become Brainiac Masters" Justin said laughing.

"Well, it's not that bad. I mean, you'd be with all your brainiac friends too," Aly said in a playful voice.

"Oh haha, very funny..."

Aly started to laugh. Her spirits seemed to have lifted a bit.

"_Well, at least she's a little more at ease now."_Justin thought to himself.

"Hey, I just want to say thanks for helping me back there. I wouldn't have known what to do. And thanks for waiting here with me too. I owe you one." Aly stated.

"Aw, no worries. I'm glad I was there to help." Justin smiled back.

"That's a cute Eevee you got there," she remarked.

"Oh yeah, Eevee's great." Justin said as he began to pet Eevee's head.

"Umm, may I hold it?"

"Eevee?" Justin asked Eevee.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee smiled as it jumped from Justin's lap towards Aly. She caught the Pokemon in her arms and embraced it, stroking its tail too.

"Seems Eevee likes you." Justin remarked. Just then, both Aly and Justin heard the front door to the centre open. As they leaned over to look, the Torchic from before waddled its way to Justin.

"Oh, it's you" Justin remarked.

"You've met this Pokemon before?" Aly asked.

"Mhm. Me and Eevee ran into this Torchic before coming across you guys. Wanted to battle and catch it, but decided to go check what the early commotion was, which turned out to be you. Hey Torchic, you hungry? I have some food you can have."

Torchic just gave a blank stare at the chocolate, then at Justin, and then at the chocolate again. Eevee then jumped down from Aly's arms towards Torchic.

"Ee-vy, Ee, Ee-vy, Eev-uie" Eevee said to Torchic, assuring it was safe. Torchic looked back at Justin and ate the Pokemon food from his hand.

"Tor-chic, chic!" cried happily, enjoying the food.

"Glad you liked it, you must be very hungry," Justin smiled.

"Awww, it's so cute," Aly remarked.

"It sure is. Hey Torchic, wanna wait with us while Aly's Squirtle gets better?"

The fire chick Pokémon nodded its head and smiled. It softly pecked Eevee and began to run away, which Eevee then chased after it like in a game of tag. Aly and Justin looked on and smiled. 15 minutes later, the bell above the emergency room doors rang, and Nurse Joy came out of the room. Aly and Justin rushed towards her.

"Squirtle's gonna be just fine. All it needs is good rest," explained Nurse Joy. She then directed their attention to Squirtle, who was sleeping in one of the stretchers.

"Thank you so much Nurse Joy" Aly exclaimed. She ran towards to stretcher that carried Squirtle. Justin, Eevee and Torchic tagged along. The Pokemon jumped onto the stretcher bed beside Squirtle.

"I'm glad to hear Squirtle will be better." Justin told Aly.

"Yea, me too...I was really worried."

"Why don't you guys go to the dinner hall and get something to eat while Squirtle rests here?" Nurse Joy suggested. Justin and Aly looked at each other

"What do you say? Let's go get something to eat." Justin smiled.

"Ok, sure!" Aly replied happily.

* * *

The dining hall was filled with different people, presumably fellow Pokemon Trainers. Justin and Aly were both sitting down at a table bench across from each other eating the served food. Eevee, Torchic and Squirtle sat on the far side of the tables eating Pokemon food.

"_Hmmm, this definitely isn't like Mom's cooking, but I guess it'll do." _Justin thought to himself, taking a bite of his sandwich. The dining hall was pretty occupied with other trainers and their Pokemon eating food. Justin was amazed about the entire atmosphere of the Pokemon Centre. Everyone and everything here was about Pokemon, something he has a great passion for. He looked up, and saw Aly munching away at hers.

"So Aly, where are you from?" Justin asked.

"I'm from Pallet Town in the Kanto Region. It's a pretty small town." Aly replied

"Oh, I know all about the Kanto Region, that's one of regions I learned about in a book I read. So, are you here to partake in the Minero League? I assume you were in the Kanto one as well right?"

"Not quite. Actually, I ended up here by accident," Aly smiled embarrassingly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's a long story..." Aly said shyly. "You see, my 10th birthday came around and I was ready to set out on my Pokemon journey. But, something kept me from going. It took me 5 years to get through it before I was ready to journey again. Even now though...it still bugs me..."

"What happened?" Justin asked curiously.

"Actually, I'd rather not say...it's personal and I get uncomfortable talking about it." Aly said nervously.

"Oh...I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Anyways, I finally recovered and continued on to start my Pokemon journey. I went to Professor Oak's Laboratory to pick my Pokemon, which happened to be Squirtle right here."

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out happily.

"So, our goal was like yours, to take on the Pokemon League challenge by winning the eight badges across Kanto. Unfortunately, we couldn't even win one gym badge. We tried the Pewter City, Cerulean City and Vermillion City Gym, but nothing. I couldn't even capture one Pokemon. My confidence, the small amount of it, was fading. I felt like I was failing as a trainer." Aly looked down at her food and sulked. Squirtle placed one of its hands on Aly's, which caused her to look over. She smiled at her Pokemon and looked back at Justin to continue.

"It was at the Vermillion City Pier where we saw a Beginner Pokemon Trainer course held in the Johto Region. I felt I needed to go there in order to re-learn the basics to become a good trainer. So I bought our tickets and was ready to go. But...we accidently went on the wrong boat. We took the boat going to the Minero Region instead of Johto." She said grabbing the back of her head, smiling embarrassingly.

"Uhhhhh..." Justin's jaw dropped down.

"Yeah...whoops. Well, we got off at Mineral Town and wanted to take the ferry back to Kanto. But, the ferry only travels every 3 months between Kanto and Minero. Squirtle and I then decided that this is a good opportunity to start over and do better than what we did in Kanto. Our travels led us on Route 401 to Amethyst City, but then Squirtle got very sick long the way. Then, that's where you and Eevee came in, and the rest is history."

"...Wow, ok, that's...interesting," Justin said.

"Yeah, I can be very clumsy." Aly said. The 2 started to laugh. "Anyways, tell me more about you. Like how did you meet Eevee? How your journey is going so far? What do you plan on doing?"

For the next hour or so, Justin and Aly talked and talked.

* * *

The trainers and their Pokemon finished eating their dinner with filled stomachs and began to walk out of the dining hall.

"Let's go check back up on Squirtle to see how it's doing." Justin said.

"Yeah, for sure!" Aly replied. Just as they walked out of the hall, some sirens went off. Justin and Aly looked at each other confused.

"What? Sirens?"

"Wonder what this is about?"

"I think there's an emergency. We should definitely see Nurse Joy about this."

"Yeah! C'mon Eevee! Torchic!" Justin said as the 2 trainers and their Pokemon ran off not knowing what awaited them.


	4. Chapter 4 - A First of Things to Come

**_A/N: Hello there again. It makes me happy to see people checking out my story. As always, review if you have some input. Here is Chapter 4._**

* * *

**Chapter 4 – A First of Things to Come**

Justin, Aly, Eevee and Torchic ran down the halls of the Pokemon Centre in order to find Nurse Joy. The sirens kept on ringing meaning that the problem still loomed. After a few minutes of searching through hallways, they found Nurse Joy running out of the treatment room.

"Nurse Joy, what's going on?" Justin asked.

"It seems someone has broken into the study lab in this centre. I must go there now!" Nurse Joy explained.

"We'll come with you!"

"We don't know what's there. Maybe we shouldn't..." Aly said timidly.

"Nahh, we'll be fine!" Justin remarked bravely.

"It's going to be dangerous...Are you sure?"

"Positive. We have to help. People and/or Pokemon might be in danger. Let's go Nurse Joy!"

"Hmm...All right, let's go." Nurse Joy said.

They ran down the hall toward the lab area. Once they arrived there through the door, there were 2 people right next to the central computer. They were 2 men in brown robes with black capes and wearing sunglasses.

"Who are you guys?!" Nurse Joy asked.

"That's none of your business. Just move a long," one of the men said.

"No, this is a restricted area!"

"Heh, fine. I guess we'll have to do this the hard way. Sneasal, Icy Wind!" the shady character said throwing a Pokeball at the group's direction. The Pokeball landed right in front of them and opened, releasing a small dark Pokémon with 2 vicious white claws.

"Snea-sal!" it screeched, shooting out a cold, icy breeze from its mouth towards the group. Justin, Aly and Nurse Joy quickly moved out of the way and back out into the hallway. The icy breeze went straight towards the hallway wall and covered in a blanket of ice. Sneasal then followed them out the door and faced them with a cunning smile.

"Oh no! What are we going to do?!" Aly cried out.

"Don't worry. I'll help in stopping these crooks." Justin said.

"Are you sure you can do it? They seem very strong!"

"Of course we can! With Eevee by my side, and our belief and passion for Pokemon, we can do anything. Right pal?"

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out.

"All right! This is our first battle ever! So let's make it count! Eevee, use tackle!" Justin commanded. Eevee started to charge towards Sneasal and hit it right on. Sneasal was sent flying back towards to the far wall. But, just before hitting the wall, Sneasal landed right back onto its feet and made a smirk.

"What? That was a direct hit though," Justin said baffled. Sneasal then charged towards Eevee with its claws glowing.

"Eevee, dodge it!" Justin yelled. Just before Sneasal swiped its claws, Eevee jumped to the side, evading the slash attack.

"Now, tackle again!"

Eevee landed from the dodge and charged at Sneasal once again, hitting it from the side and into the air before landing hard on the ground.

"Way to go!" Aly cheered.

"Heh, piece of cake! I told you nothing can stop us!" Justin exclaimed as he and Eevee began to celebrate as if the battle was over. But suddenly, Eevee was hit by a charging Sneasal and slammed against the wall pretty hard.

"Eevee!" Justin shouted out worriedly.

"A battle isn't won that easily! You gotta keep focus on your opponent at all times!" Nurse Joy exclaimed. Justin looked back at Eevee who got up gingerly.

"Eevee! Use another tackle attack!" Justin commanded. Eevee started to charge right at Sneasal with some speed. The dark type Pokemon however read Eevee's move and dodged it easily. It then countered by shooting an icy wind attack from its mouth. Sneasal blew Eevee backwards onto the ground with a little bit of a chill. Sneasal's claw began to light up again, and then charged straight at an already down Eevee. Eevee, still down, closed its eyes and looked away.

"Eevee, NO!" Just then, Torchic used its ember attack to shoot little balls of fire from its mouth directly at Sneasal. It hit the charging Pokémon straight on, sending it towards the back wall. Torchic then stood in front of Eevee as if it was protecting Eevee.

"Ee-Eevy," Eevee cried to Torchic. Torchic looked back and nodded. It was a super effective attack against an ice type Pokemon. It tried to get up, but fell back down.

"All right!" Justin rejoiced with Eevee and Torchic. "Torchic, thanks for saving Eevee there. I guess I got a lot to learn about battling still. Both of you guys were awesome though!"

Both Pokémon gave a cry of happiness.

"That was very good Justin!" Aly said, running up towards Justin.

"Yes, agreed. Now let's go stop those crooks." Nurse Joy said.

"Right" answered Justin and Aly. As soon as the group started to run back towards the lab area, the 2 suspicious men were just about to exit the room. They looked down the other side of the hallway to find their fallen Pokemon.

"Sneasal Return!" The first man said, holding out a Pokeball. A red light came out of the middle and hit Sneasal, returning it to the Pokeball. "Hmm, you kids are more of a nuisance then I thought. No matter, Team Immortal will still achieve its goal!"

"Team Immortal?" Aly questioned. "What's that?"

"You'll find out soon enough!" said the other man."It's time for us to split. Farewell!" Black Smoke suddenly appeared out of nowhere, blocking everyone's sight. As the smoke cleared, both were gone.

"What happened?" asked Aly

"They just vanished!" Justin remarked. Nurse Joy went into the lab area to scout around.

"Well, everything seems normal and nothing was broken. So that's good. But, I wonder what they did then?" Nurse Joy wondered.

"Why? What's so special about this Pokemon Centre?" Aly asked.

"This Pokemon Centre contains a research facility on the origins of the Minero Region. The main researcher here spends almost all of his time here conducting further research. He is on his vacation now and returns in about a week. It won't be fun to tell him we had some intruders."

"Nurse Joy, I'm sorry we couldn't stop them," Justin apologized sincerely, bowing towards the nurse.

"Oh, it's all right. Thank you for helping out! But still, I can't help but wonder. Who is this Team Immortal and what do they hope to accomplish?" Nurse Joy responded. "Well, it's getting late now; you two should make your way to the bedroom halls."

Eevee and Torchic began to yawn, which in turn made Justin and Aly yawn as well. They looked at the clock which signalled 10:30pm.

"C'mon Aly, let's go together," Justin smiled.

* * *

"Man, what a day..." Justin said while yawning. He walked with Aly, Eevee, Squirtle and Torchic in the bedroom hall. Both their rooms were right across from each other. "Well, this looks like the rooms we'll be sleeping in tonight,"

"This looks like our room Squirtle," Aly said, opening the door.

"Squirtle, Squirt, Squirtle," Squirtle said, beaming at the big bed.

"I guess this one is ours Eevee," Justin said looking down at Eevee.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried happily.

"Hey Torchic, You're welcome to stay in my room tonight if you want?" Justin asked Torchic.

"Tor. Chic." Torchic said, sounding confused. Eevee ran towards Torchic, communicating to it in a friendly tone. Torchic then gave its typical blank look at Justin, and then looked back at Eevee. After slowly processing what had just occurred, it cracked a smile.

"Torchic!" it cried happily, nodding its head.

"Well, have a good night Aly!" Justin said as him, Eevee and Torchic entered their room.

"Yep, Good Night Justin!" Aly said, as Squirtle and she walked through their door.

* * *

Aly woke up, got out of bed and fixed herself up in front of her mirror. She then woke up Squirtle, who was still very sleepy. They both walked out the door where she approached Justin's door and knocked.

"Hey Justin, are you up yet?" Aly asked. No one answered though.

"_Hmm, maybe he's still sleeping. Well, I'm going to go get some fresh air," _Aly thought to herself. "All right Squirtle, it's time to go."

"Squirtle!" Squirtle nodded. Aly raised its Pokeball towards it and the red light beam shot out at Squirtle, returning it into the Pokeball. She began to make her way towards the front doors. It looked like yet another nice day with the sun shining brightly through the front clear doors. As soon as she got outside, Aly saw Justin, Eevee and Torchic near by a tree.

"All right Eevee, use Tackle at that target!" Justin called out.

"Ee-Vee!" Eevee cried, charging at target that was made of branches and leaves. Eevee ran and tackled through it. The target then exploded with leaves going everywhere.

"Hey, that was amazing Eevee!" Justin said happily.

"Ee-vy!' Eevee cried joyfully and jumped into Justin's arms. Torchic jumped for joy as well. Eevee then went down towards Torchic and they both started to do a happy dance.

"Hey Justin!" Aly called out. Justin turned around to see Aly.

"Oh, hey Aly! Have a good sleep?"

"Yep, feel very refreshed now." Aly said smiling before putting on a straight face.

"Hey listen. I just wanted to say sorry for not helping you out yesterday against Team Immortal. I was too scared and didn't really do anything to help you."

"It's ok Aly. Squirtle was recovering so you couldn't have done anything. Everything worked out in the end so don't worry about it," Justin remarked

"I guess you're right...So, you're travelling today right?"

"Yeah, I think we're gonna head north towards Amethyst City. Supposedly there's a gym located there." Justin explained. "How about you?"

"Umm, I'm not sure what I'm going to do to be honest...I ended up here by accident so, no plan."

Justin then started to sweat a bit as he prepared his next question. "Well...if you want... perhaps you...maybe want to join me on my journey?"

"Wait...really?"

"Yeah, for sure! It'll be fun. We'll see lots of new Pokemon, visit tons of places and meet a bunch of people along the way. I think it's better to travel with buddies anyway! So, what do you say?!" He eagerly explained. It seemed to have thrown Aly off guard for a bit.

"Oh..."

"Well, it's totally up to you...I mean..." Justin stuttered nervously.

"No, I'd love to come with you!" Aly smiled.

"Yeah?"

"I mean, I think I would get pretty lost by myself. But, travelling together may help me become a stronger person and a proper trainer."

"Really?"

"Yeah! The way you helped me out when Squirtle wasn't feeling well. And that time you battled Team Immortal. You're someone who I can look up too and one day, I can hopefully be like you. So, thank you for asking and I'd be glad to join!" Aly exclaimed happily.

"_That's so nice of her to say that..." _Justin thought to himself. He then looked down at Eevee. "What do you say Eevee? Mind if Aly and Squirtle come travelling with us?"

"Vu-Vy!" Eevee cried out happily.

"It's settled. Welcome to the group Aly!"

"That's great! Hey, what about Torchic?" Aly asked Justin. They both looked at Torchic, who had its confused look, angling its head to the right. Justin walked towards it and kneeled down.

"Torchic, what would you say to coming with us?" Justin asked, extending out his hand towards it.

"Tor?" Torchic cried in an unsure tone.

"It's up to you buddy. I've seen what you can do when we fought against Team Immortal. Plus, you and Eevee seemed to have become good friends. I think you'll be a great addition to the team." Justin said.

Torchic looked at Justin and then looked at Eevee. Eevee gave it a smile, nodding. Torchic looked back at Justin, and then smiled. It then walked towards Justin's hand, nuzzling it.

"Torchic!" it cried happily.

"All right!" Justin jumped for joy. As soon as he pulled out a Pokeball, Torchic ran a few meters away from him, and then faced him with a serious look.

"I think Torchic wants to have a battle," Aly remarked.

Justin looked on, and then smiled. "All right, if it's a battle you want, I'll give you one. Go Eevee!"

"Ee-vy!" Eevee jumped in front of Justin, preparing to battle with Torchic. "We're not going to hold back! I'm going to catch my first Pokemon! I'm not going to screw up this time. Eevee, use tackle!" Justin called out. Eevee started to charge towards Torchic. Torchic charged at Eevee too. Both Pokémon gained speed and collided with each other. They hit hard and bounced backwards towards where they started.

"Eevee, use tackle again!" Justin called.

Eevee started charging towards Torchic again, but Torchic stood still this time. Just before Eevee was going to hit it, Torchic jumped out of the way, causing Eevee to run head first into a tree.

"No, Eevee!" Justin shouted out concerned.

Eevee got up, with stars rotating around its head. Torchic landed on the ground and then used an ember attack that shot balls of fire at Eevee. Eevee flew towards a tree, slamming hard into it. It slowly got up, only to see Torchic charging right at it.

"Eevee, use sand attack!" Justin called. Eevee quickly raised its head and whipped its paw from left to right on the ground. Sand then followed which shot towards Torchic. It hit dead on and Torchic was knocked off its feet. Its vision was impaired from the sand.

"Now's our chance, Eevee, finish this up with Tackle!" Justin commanded pointing at Torchic.

Eevee then started to run full steam ahead towards Torchic, finally colliding with it and sending Torchic flying. It slammed into a tree, where it slid down the trunk and laid there dazed.

"This is it! Go, Pokeball!" Justin yelled as he threw the red & white ball right at Torchic. The ball landed right on Torchic's head, bouncing in the air and opening up. A red beam of light shot out of the ball and engulfed Torchic, who disappeared right into the Pokeball. The ball shook back and forth as Justin, Eevee and Aly looked on.

"_C'mon..._" Justin said in his head, determined to catch his first Pokémon. The ball continued to rock back and forth until finally, it stopped. Justin felt a sense of joy and happiness rush in him. He walked towards the Pokeball and looked at it. After about 5 seconds, he jumped for joy raising the Pokeball in the air.

"ALL RIGHT! I CAUGHT A TORCHIC! MY VERY FIRST POKEMON!" Justin shouted to the sky.

"EE-VUIE!" Eevee cried happily jumping up and down.

"You were great Eevee, thanks for helping me pal," Justin said to Eevee, kneeling down towards it and stroking the fur on its head. This caused Eevee to smile and purr. Aly walked towards Justin then.

"Congratulations Justin!" Aly said.

"Thanks Aly! It sure feels good to catch the first one. I hope to catch many more and make even more friends!" He began to do a celebration dance with odd movements, which made Aly stare in confusion.

"Uhhh...I'm not gonna ask," Aly said to Eevee.

* * *

Justin, Eevee (who was on his shoulder) and Aly stood outside the Pokémon Centre right with Nurse Joy right across from them.

"Well, we're off! Thanks for everything Nurse Joy," Justin said.

"Safe travels guys. Good luck with your upcoming gym battle in Amethyst City Justin. And Aly, I hope you find the trainer that's inside you. I know you'll be fine." Nurse Joy said smiling.

"Thanks Nurse Joy, I hope so too." Aly said.

"I have something for you guys," Nurse Joy said to them, while grabbing something from her pocket. Out came a small micro chip. "This is a file of the Minero map. You can upload it onto your Poke-Tab."

Justin and Aly both looked at each other in disappointment.

"Oh...do you guys not have a Poke-Tab?"

"Unfortunately not. Justin is from the Eruva region, which is like Anti-Pokémon. And I came from Kanto, we don't have those in that region," Aly explained.

"No worries. I'll just give you a print out of the Minero Region Map. I'll be right back," Nurse Joy said, quickly running into the centre. After 10 seconds she came back with a rolled up piece of parchment.

"Thanks!" Aly said, taking the map from Nurse Joy.

"By the way, what is a Poke-Tab? And do you know where we could get one of these Poke-Tabs?" Justin asked curiously.

"Poke-Tab's are smart tablets that perform many different features that benefit Pokemon Trainers. It can show you a map of a region with GPS locator, input contacts of other trainer's you meet on your journey, and much more. It just depends on the different chips you get and download onto your tablet. The company who makes them is located in Ruby City. Its west of Amethyst City." Nurse Joy responded.

"Wow, that's great! Aly, we should try to get one when we're there," Justin said to Aly.

"For sure!" Aly replied.

"Be careful you two," Nurse Joy told them.

"We Will!" they both responded. After that, Justin and Aly began to walk towards Route 401, looking back and waving at Nurse Joy until they saw her no more. They continued to walk along the dirt path laid out.

"Well, this has been an interesting journey so far." Justin remarked to Aly. "So much has happened. I caught my first Pokemon Torchic, had my first battle with that mysterious Team Immortal, and I met my first friend in you! I'm sure this is going to happen a lot more."

"That's a lot of firsts I'd say...firsts for an Eruva Nerd that is." Aly teased. Justin shot back a irritated look which led to her giggling a bit.

"So, you ready for this journey?"

"Of course! No matter what comes out way, I'll be ready to face it!" Justin exclaimed as they continued to walk down the dirt path towards Amethyst City.


	5. Chapter 5 - New Rivals

**Chapter 5 – New Rivals**

"All right Eevee, use your quick attack!" Justin commanded.

"Ee-vee!" Eevee cried out. It then charged right towards the opponent Zigzagoon at a very fast speed. Eevee made contact with the Zigzagoon, which caused it to fly backwards and land on its side. It had swirls around its eyes.

"Oh no! Zigzagoon!" the boy called out. He then rushed towards his Pokemon and picked it up in its arms. "Are you okay?"

"Zig-zag-goon," Zigzagoon cried out weakly as the swirls disappeared from its eyes.

"Hey, is Zigzagoon all right?" Justin asked as he and Eevee walked over.

"Yeah, I think so. A good rest and it should be back to normal." The boy replied as he stood back up. "Hey, you're a strong trainer. I hope we battle again." He lifted his hand and offered a handshake.

"Yeah! Same!" Justin remarked back, as he raised his hand and shook the boy's hand back. Aly and Squirtle were sitting on a rock, watching the ensuing sportsmanship shown by both trainers.

"Wow, Justin's gotten a lot better eh Squirtle?" Aly remarked "Ever since that incident back at the Pokemon Centre, he's been looking for more battles...and winning them. That's like his 3rd win in a row!"

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out happily. Justin and Eevee then walked over to them 2 after saying goodbye to the other trainer.

"Lunch now?" Justin asked.

"Oh yes!" Aly said happily.

* * *

"All right, it seems like we still have a ways to go to get to Amethyst City. We just gotta continue down this road, where we'll pass Amethyst Lake too." Justin said biting on a sandwich while looking at the map Nurse Joy gave them.

"It's a beautiful place! My Uncle used to bring me there often when I visited Minero as a kid," Aly said.

"Cool, we'll stop by there once we approach it."

The 2 of them had been travelling on Route 401 for about 2 hours now and were eating food they brought from the Pokémon Centre. The Pokémon were out to get some fresh air and eat as well. The landscape had stayed relatively the same with grassy fields throughout and occasional big rocks all over the place. The dirt path seemed to continue towards a small forest area because of the sea of trees in the distance. Justin and Aly sat on the ground with a blanket tarp beneath them. Eevee, sitting on a small rock next to Justin, was munching away at its food. Squirtle sat right on Aly's lap, with Aly feeding it food piece by piece. Torchic, the newly caught Pokémon was eating its food slowly while staring up at the sky from time to time.

"Boy, Torchic sure is...interesting," Justin said to Aly.

"Well, all Pokémon have different personalities." Aly explained.

"That's true...well; I think Torchic is cool just the way it is! Right Torchic?!"

Justin looked over at Torchic for a response, but found it lying on the ground with its eyes closed and enjoying the fresh air. Aly and Eevee giggled a bit.

"...well, it can't be helped," Justin smiled with a sigh sweat drop appearing on the back of his head. "Ok, I think we should clean up and head out now."

"Ok, All right Squirtle, return!" Aly said, returning Squirtle to its Pokeball.

"Torchic, time to get back in your Pokeball all right?" Justin said in an asking manner.

Torchic had no response as it lay peacefully on the grass. It had fallen asleep.

"...Oh-kay. Torchic return!" Justin called out, returning Torchic to its Pokeball. Justin and Aly cleaned up their stuff and got back on the road.

It was a very nice, sunny day with a pleasant breeze passing by every now and then. Justin had taken off his jacket to avoid sweating. Eevee continued to rest on Justin's shoulders during the journey instead of being in its Pokeball. The landscape suddenly changed as now the dirt path started to curve and go over occasional hills. The walk wasn't as bad as Justin imagined it. With having friends like Aly and Eevee out with him, it made it more enjoyable.

"So Justin, could you tell me more about the Eruva Region?" Aly asked.

"Sure!" Justin said happily. "Well, you see this natural view and open field? There's hardly any of that where I live. It's mostly company buildings, industry plants, and—"

Something suddenly hit Justin in the head that caused him to fall on his butt.

"Ow! What the heck was that?!" He cried out in pain.

Aly kneeled towards him to make sure he was all right. Justin assured he was fine, but wanted to know what hit him. On his right, he saw a small orange ball. As he went to pick it up, something swept it right before his eyes. Justin looked up to see a familiar light-brown coloured Pokémon playing with it.

"Eevee! What was that for?" Justin asked, raising his voice a bit.

"Ee-vuie!"

Justin then froze up. That came from behind him. As he turned around, he saw Eevee there.

"Wait, if you're there...then whose is that?" Justin asked confused.

"I'm not sure. The Pokedex didn't say anything about there being wild Eevees here," Aly explained.

Justin's Eevee walked towards the other one.

"Vu-vuie! Ee-vuie!," Eevee said

"Ee-vee, Ee," the other Eevee said back.

"Ee-vee, Vuie!" Justin's Eevee cried out happily, smiling. The other Eevee smiled, and then the both started to playfully run and chase each other.

"They're friends already! Would you look at that?" Justin remarked.

"Eevee! Where are you?!" a voice yelled from down the road. A girl with brown hair in a red shirt and beige shorts, who looked around Justin's age, ran towards the group.

"There you are!" the girl said, stopping to kneel towards the other Eevee. "I told you to stay put. Why did you all of a sudden run off?"

Eevee showed her the orange ball.

"Oh, I see. Next time, let me know where you're going ok?" the girl said.

"Ee-vee!" Eevee agreed, smiling. The girl then paused and looked up at Justin and Aly.

"Oh, who are you guys?"

"My name is Justin Riser from the Eruva Region! And this is my partner Eevee!" Justin exclaimed.

"Ee-vy," Eevee said.

"My name is Aly Eatos from Pallet Town in Kanto." Aly replied.

"I'm Lyra from Ruby City. And I see you met Eevee already," Lyra exclaimed in a friendly voice.

Lyra's Eevee smiled and cried out its name. Justin's Eevee came over and both started playing again.

"It seems like our Eevees have already become good friends," Lyra pointed out.

"Sure seems like it," Justin said right back.

"So Lyra, what brings you to this area?" Aly asked.

"Well, I'm a Pokémon Trainer just like you guys...I'm here just exploring this new area. Apparently there are wild Growlithe around, and I think catching one will really help me on my journey." Lyra explained.

"Did you already challenge the Amethyst Gym yet?" Justin asked.

"Sure did," Lyra said smiling. She then reached for her bag and grabbed a small case. "Look, this is what we got," she said as she opened the case, revealing a purple round badge.

"NO WAY! You already have that badge?"

"Yep, it was a tough battle. I prevailed valiantly...or I just got lucky." She chuckled.

"Awesome! I plan on challenging the gym as soon as Aly and I get to Amethyst City," Justin explained.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck then Justin." Lyra replied in a nice tone.

"Thanks!"

"By the way, how's your Growlithe search coming along," Aly asked.

"We came across a Growlithe twice, almost catching it the 2nd time, but it got away. But, Eevee and I won't give up. We are determined to catch that Pokémon even if it takes us all day!" Lyra explained. "Right Eevee?"

"Eevee!" Lyra's Eevee cried, as both Eevees climbed back onto their respective trainer's shoulder

"That's great. I hope you find it." Aly said.

"Thanks Aly! Well, I guess we-"Lyra said but stopped in mid sentence. She then looked to her right.

"What's wrong?" Justin asked.

"Shhh...It's here."

"Growlithe?" Aly asked.

"Mhm, and its close," Lyra softly spoke. Her Eevee jumped onto the ground and ran a few steps ahead of Lyra to scout around the area. After a few moments, a patch of long grass to their right started to shake. Lyra and her Eevee turned their attention to it. All of a sudden, something jumped out of the grass and started running. It was a red dog-like Pokémon that had black stripes.

"THAT'S IT!" Lyra shouted as she and Eevee started to run after the Growlithe.

"C'mon, let's follow them." Aly said, and started following Lyra.

"Uh...well, ok." Justin replied.

They both eventually caught up with Lyra who was still on pursuit for that Growlithe. They continued to run down the dirt path and into the small forest area. The Growlithe then veered away from the dirt path and ran into the sea of trees. All the trainers followed it keenly; avoid trees and long branches sticking out. They then made their way through the tall grass and into a small open area covered in just dirt with trees surrounding it.

"Eevee, use shadow ball!" Lyra commanded. Eevee created a dark ball of energy and released it towards the ground ahead of Growlithe. This caused a mini explosion, causing the Pokemon to stop in its tracks. It then turned around and faced Eevee and Lyra. Justin and Aly then finally caught up with them.

"Well Growlithe, shall we do this battle now?" Lyra said.

"Ee," Eevee cried out. The Growlithe gave both of them a quick look.

"Growwww," Growlithe let out a cry, raising its front 2 legs and then slamming then on the ground.

"Now Eevee, use tackle!" Lyra commanded. Her Eevee started to charge towards the Growlithe. Growlithe started to charge towards Eevee, using a tackle attack of its own. The 2 then collided with each other, bouncing back in the direction they came from and landing hard on the ground. Growlithe quickly came up.

"Hey Eevee, are you all right?" Lyra asked. Eevee quickly got up as well. "All right! Eevee, use your quick attack!"

"Eeee-vy!" Eevee cried as it charged towards Growlithe at blistering speed. Growlithe dodged the attack by running and jumping out of the way. It then jumped towards Eevee, opened its mouth, and then clenched down on Eevee. Eevee cried out in pain.

"That's Growlithe's bite attack!"Aly called out.

"Eevee, shake it off!" Lyra commanded. Eevee shook back and forth, but Growlithe wouldn't let go. Lyra had to think quickly.

"Eevee, tackle towards that tree," Lyra commanded. Eevee then charged straight ahead for a nearby tree. It was going very fast that Growlithe held on tight. It may have caused Eevee pain, but it was determined to win and followed with its trainer's command. A few feet before Eevee reached the tree, Lyra then called out a move.

"Now Eevee, shift to the right!"

Eevee then shifted right just barely missing the tree. This caused Growlithe to slam hard into it.

"Growww..." Growlithe let out a painful cry, and then lied against the tree. It slowly got up, but then looked ahead to see Eevee use its tackle attack. The light brown Pokemon hit Growlithe hard, where it made Growlithe unable to continue the battle. Lyra then got out her Pokeball.

"All right! Go, Pokeball!" Lyra yelled, as she threw her Pokeball at Growlithe. The Pokeball hit Growlithe on the head, and then emitted a red flashing light which engulfed Growlithe in it. The Pokeball then fell on the ground and then rocked left to right continuously.

"Come on..."Lyra said. Aly and Justin looked on. The Pokeball kept rocking until finally, it stopped. Lyra then walked up to the Pokeball.

"All right! We got ourselves a Growlithe!" Lyra celebrated, lifting the Pokeball in the air. Her Eevee then jumped for joy beside her.

"Congratulations!"" Justin said, walking up to her with Aly.

"Thanks Justin! It took awhile, but I finally got it" Lyra said. Just after that, her stomach grumbled. She reached for her stomach and started laughing.

"Hehehe...looks like all that battling made me hungry." Lyra said. "You guys want to join me?"

"Well, we actually just ate. But, we'll hang with you for a bit," Aly said with a smile.

* * *

Justin, Aly and Lyra gathered around some tree stumps they found in the forest. Lyra was eating away at a sandwich while Justin and Aly were checking out the Map of Minero. Justin's and Lyra's Eevee played together around the area.

"So Lyra, how's your journey been so far besides the gym match and new Pokémon?" Justin asked.

"Well, I just started about a week ago from Ruby City. It was my 15th birthday, which signals the start of my Pokémon journey!" Lyra explained.

"Wait, you started at 15?" Aly said shocked.

"Yep. I know in the other regions its 10 years old. But here in Minero, they changed the regulation here. They felt that 10 years old was too young for kids to go out on a journey on their own."

"It's just like in the Eruva Region where I come from. We take these Pokemon entry tests at 15 years old. That way we still have an education once our Pokemon journey comes to an end later in the future." Justin said.

"That's pretty cool! Hey Aly, I know that Kanto Pokemon trainers start at age 10. But, you look older than that," Lyra said in a curious voice.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm 15 just like you. I started at this age just like you and Justin. The reason though...it's something I don't like to talk much about," Aly said uncomfortably.

"Oh why not?" Lyra asked. Justin intervened and shook his head. Lyra just nodded.

"I see. But yeah, I was supposed to go to Mineral Town to see Professor Rose for my starter Pokémon. But, it turned out my parents got me an Eevee for my birthday present. It was so neat; it was my very first Pokémon. I notified Professor Rose about Eevee and she was just fine with it. She transferred a pokedex and Pokeballs to me and I started on my journey." Lyra explained.

"Wow, that's pretty neat!" Aly said.

"Well, it's all right I guess. Now, our goal is to win enter the Minero League and become the champion!"

"That's my goal too. So I guess you and me are rivals now." Justin remarked.

"It appears so. I'll just say may the best trainer come on top!" Lyra said, extending her hand for a handshake.

"Don't worry, I will" Justin replied, shaking her handshake.

"And with that, a rivalry is born," Aly giggled.

"Hey Aly, aren't you entering the Minero League too?" Lyra asked.

"Well, it's hard to explain. I didn't do so well back in Kanto and seemed to have lost my confidence in battles. So, I'm just taking a break for now until I get things figured out." Aly explained.

"I get it. I hope you get things figured out soon Aly."

"That's kind of you Lyra. Thanks!"

Justin's and Lyra's Eevee both returned to their respective trainers to join the group. They both got out Pokémon food for the Eevees to eat. The Pokémon then started munching on their food, hungry from their play time.

"There ya go Eevee," Justin said to Eevee, massaging its soft fur.

"Vy!" Eevee cried out happily. Eevee really liked that, and started to smile and feel relaxed.

"You and Eevee seem to be really close Justin," Lyra observed. Her Eevee had also finished its food where she returned it to its Pokeball.

"Yeah, we've been through quite a bit in our short time together."

"Hey, how did you and your Eevee meet?"

"Um, well, you see-"

Justin was cut off by huge ruffling going on in the bushes behind him. The group looked in the direction where the sound was coming from. After awhile, someone came out of those bushes. He was wearing a beige shirt with dark blue pants and a cap. Justin gasped after looking at him.

The boy gasped too, but then made sarcastic "hmph" noise.

"It's you..." Justin said with an angry tone. They both just stared at each other.

"Aly, do you know who that is?" Lyra asked, confused about the situation.

"I think I do..." Aly said worriedly. Both girls then noticed Justin's Eevee. It was quivering in fear, having a scared face on it. Eevee ran towards Justin and jumped into his arms to hide.

"What's up with Eevee?" Lyra asked.

"Just watch," Aly suggested, as her and Lyra watched on Justin and the other boy.

"So Ron, what brings you out to this part of the woods?" Justin asked.

"Why do you care?" Ron remarked rudely.

"I knew it," Aly said.

"Knew what?" Lyra asked.

"This guy named Ron. He is the reason Justin and Eevee met. Apparently, Eevee was originally Ron's Pokémon. But after a few losses, Ron felt Eevee was too weak to be on his team and released it. Apparently it had already gone through strenuous training so it was worn out. But, Ron abandoned it in its exhausted state. It wasn't until Justin arrived that where he brought Eevee to the Pokémon Centre. That's how Justin and Eevee met," Aly explained to Lyra.

"Wow, that's intense."

"And it's about to get more heated," Aly said, as she looked on at Justin and Ron. Ron seemed to have caught Justin's Eevee at the corner of his eye.

"So, you're still carrying around that excuse of a Pokemon I see." Ron said coldly.

"Vuie..." Justin's Eevee said sadly, looking down with a sad look on its face.

"What'd you say?!" Justin yelled.

"I know what kind of Pokémon Eevee is; a weak one that will never be strong. Any trainer can see that," Ron taunted.

"I'll have you know Eevee is a great Pokémon! As long as you believe in them, they can do anything! C'mon bro! This is trainer battling 101!"

"Ha, well, how about a battle? I'd love to prove you wrong." Ron said as he pulled out a Pokeball from his belt..

Justin then looked down at Eevee, who at the same time looked up at him.

"Eevee, how about we battle him and show him how strong you are?" Justin suggested

"Ee-vuie..." Eevee said with a nervous tone as it lowered its head further. Justin bent down and massaged Eevee's fur.

"I promise I'll be right here with you."

A few moments after, Eevee's nervous look then turned into a serious one. It then jumped in front of him, with the look of determination on its face.

"Vy," Eevee cried out confidently.

"All right! Let's do our best Eevee." Justin said. "Fine, I accept your challenge Ron."

"Fine, here's my Pokemon. Go Magby!" Ron shouted, as he threw a Pokeball into the air. Out came a red Pokemon with a four-clover head and a tail.

"Whoa, a Magby," Justin said, as he then pulled out his Pokedex.

"_**Magby, the Live Coal Pokemon. **__**Each and every time it inhales and exhales, hot embers dribble from its mouth and nostrils."**_

"Hmmm, seems tough. But Eevee and I can do it," Justin said. "Man, this is going to be so awesome!"

"Why are you always so giddy? Gosh you're annoying." Ron taunted. Justin growled back and shifted his focus to winning the battle. Both trainers and Pokemon stood about 20 feet apart on the dirt surface below them. It was perfect space for a Pokemon battle.

"Go Justin! You can do it!" Aly cheered on.

"Hmph...you're cheerleaders are pretty annoying too. They'll probably distract you." Ron remarked nonchalantly.

"Wow, someone needs a hug," Lyra said sarcastically. Ron didn't bother to answer her.

"All right! Eevee, use tackle!" Justin commanded. Eevee started to charge towards Magby at a fast speed. Ron didn't tell Magby to do anything though.

"_Why isn't Magby doing anything? Well, let's take advantage," _Justin thought to himself. Eevee was just about to hit Magby.

But, at the last second, Ron called out a command. "Ember!"

Magby then shot fire balls right from its mouth the hit Eevee, causing it to fly to other way and land hard on the ground.

"No Eevee! You all right?" Justin called out. Eevee got up quickly and nodded.

"Nice! All right, Eevee use sand attack!" Justin commanded.

"Ee-vee!" Eevee cried out as it shot sand from the ground towards Magby.

"Magby, ember again!" Ron commanded. Magby shot fire balls from its mouth. The sand and fire balls collided with each other, causing a smoke explosion where each person couldn't see the opponent.

"Magby, use faint attack!" Ron commanded.

Eevee looked around nervously around to find Magby. But, it was too late because Magby appeared in front of Eevee unexpectedly and sucker punched it. Eevee flew backwards onto the ground.

"Oh no!" Justin cried out worriedly.

"C'mon Eevee, you can do it!" Lyra and Aly both cheered. Eevee then slowly got up, grimacing through the pain.

"All right Eevee, use tackle!" Justin commanded. Eevee then started to charge straight towards Magby.

"Hmph, this again. Magby, use Ember!" Ron commanded.

"Mag-by!" Magby then shot fire balls at Eevee again.

"Eevee, jump up to dodge!" Justin commanded. Eevee then jumped up in the air, just barely dodging the ember attack.

"What the?" Ron said surprised. Magby then looked up.

"Now, use quick attack!" Justin commanded. Eevee in mid-air charged right at Magby and landed a direct hit, sending Magby backwards onto the ground.

"Man this battle is really coming along! Eevee, use your tackle again!" Justin commanded. Eevee then charged towards Magby, who had just gotten up onto its feet.

"Magby, Leer!" Ron called out. Magby then gave Eevee a terrifying glare, which caused Eevee to stop and become frightened.

"Now, use smokescreen!"

"Mag-by!" Magby cried out, surrounding the area in black smoke coming from its mouth. Eevee gasped, looking around for Magby.

"Not again! Eevee, use quick attack in a circle to clear the smoke!" Justin commanded.

"Eeee-vy!" Eevee cried out, running at fast speeds to create winds and clear the smoke. But after it subsided, Magby was nowhere to be found. Justin then gasped.

"Where did it go?" Lyra asked.

"Now Magby, use Ember!" Ron commanded. Justin then looked around to see where it was coming from. He looked up to the sky and saw Magby shooting down fire balls from the air at Eevee. They hit Eevee very hard, causing a smoke explosion.

"Eevee, no!" Justin cried out.

"Oh no!" Aly said concerned. The smoke then subsided, and Eevee was on the ground trying to get back up. Despite its efforts, it collapsed to the ground.

"EEVEE!" Justin called out, running towards Eevee. He picked up Eevee into his arms. "Eevee, are you ok?"

"Ee," Eevee cried out softly, as it gave a faint smile.

"Thanks for a great battle Eevee," Justin said calmly. He then looked back up and stared back at Ron, who returned Magby to its Pokeball.

"I told you, that Eevee is weak, just like you!" Ron taunted. After that, he started to walk away.

Justin looked on, but then focused down at Eevee. "Don't worry Eevee. I promise, we'll train harder and beat him next time."

"Ee-vee," Eevee said softly, and then fell asleep.

"Justin!" Aly and Lyra called out, running towards him.

"Are you all right?" Aly asked him.

"Yea, I'm fine. Eevee seems to be taking a rest now." Justin replied.

"I'm sorry about how your match ended," Lyra said.

"Ah, it's ok. It's just motivation for us to get stronger."

"You're right! But I got to admit, that Ron guy sure is something else. Like c'mon, he's rude, inconsiderate, everything a Pokémon Trainer shouldn't be."

"Yeah. But, he is good." Justin said. "_And soon, we'll get good enough to take him down and prove that Eevee is a strong Pokémon."_

* * *

"Well, I'm going to stick around here for a bit. Explore the area and maybe find some new Pokémon." Lyra said to the group. They had made their way out of the forest and were standing before a fork in the dirt path leading to 2 different directions.

"Ok, have fun and maybe we'll see you soon." Aly said.

"Yeah, I hope so. Justin, Good luck with your Amethyst Gym Battle. I'm sure you'll do great," Lyra said to Justin.

"And Eevee, I'm glad you're better, I'll see ya soon to okay?" She added, petting Eevee on the head.

"Eevee!" Eevee cried out happily.

"And Aly, good luck to you too with your journey. I hope you discover what you're looking for."

"Thanks Lyra," Aly said.

"Well, I'm off, see you guys later!" Lyra said as she started running towards the opposite path. Justin and Aly waved back, and then started walking along the other path.

* * *

"_Wow, those guys were cool!" _Lyra thought to herself. "_I hope I get to meet them again on my journey. I must say...that Justin is kinda cute." _ She giggled at that thought and continued on ahead.

* * *

"Lyra seemed very nice eh?" Justin asked.

"For sure! I'm glad we met her today. Unlike Ron," Aly added.

"Yeah, I never thought I was going to meet him again," Justin said softly. Eevee then looked at Justin, where Justin then placed his hand on the side of Eevee's head and started massaging it.

"But, now I know Eevee and I have to get stronger if we want to make it into the Minero League. And I say our journey will get better and better."


	6. Chapter 6 - Lakeside Enemies

_**A/N: A little longer chapter than usual, but hopefully it's still enjoyable.**_

**Chapter 6: Mystery of the Lake**

In the open grassy field stood a Marill, staring confused at the female trainer before it. She was in a stance leaning towards it, but was trembling in her place.

"Now...how do I catch a Pokemon again?" Aly pondered nervously.

"You throw the Pokeball at it? But you haven't weakened it-"Justin said before interrupted.

"Ah! Got it! Pokeball! Go!" Aly threw the Pokeball at the Marill. The blue round Pokemon spun around and used its tail to hit the Pokeball back right into Aly's face. Aly froze from the pain and Justin, Eevee and Squirtle looked on. Marill then ran away into the tall grass.

"Uh...are you all right?!" Justin asked with a sigh drop falling from his head. The Pokeball fell from Aly's face as she just sunk to the floor.

"I'm an embarrassment of a Pokemon Trainer..." Aly moaned as she sobbed a little. Squirtle walked over to go comfort her.

"Well, you should have listened to me and weakened it first..." Justin suggested as he walked up to her.

"C'mon Aly, cheer up! There will be another time!" Aly cleared her tears and looked up at Justin. "We're near Amethyst Lake! Let's get a move on! We're going to see some Pokemon and hopefully catch them! I totally can't wait! All this-"

Justin blabbered on excitedly while marching happily away from Aly, Squirtle and Eevee. Aly then turned to the Pokemon and spoke to them.

"You know, sometimes I wish I had Justin's positivity and exuberance. He may act like an idiot sometimes, but he's able to move on. Something I need to do..."

* * *

"Hey, I think we're at Amethyst Lake now!" Aly said happily.

The group had just arrived at Amethyst Lake from a tall hill looking down on it. The sight and scenery were absolutely beautiful. The size of the lake was enormous, the water was sparkling from the sun's rays and was as blue as it can get. Open space of grass and dirt patches surrounded the lake. There was a lodge right near the lake for tourists to inquire information, rent fishing rods and boats to ride.

"THIS PLACE LOOKS AMAZING!" Justin shouted towards the sky in pure joy. Eevee cried out loudly with the same level of excitement. Aly looked over at him and smiled.

"I remember this place very well. I'd come here often since I was little. The lodge is comfortable, there are many Pokémon living in the lake and it's just a peaceful place to be," Aly said.

"How about we let out our Pokémon in order to enjoy the fresh air and view?" Justin suggested.

"Good idea!" Aly said. They both got out their Pokeballs and released the other members of their team.

"Torchic, Tor," Torchic chirped out happily. Torchic smiled as it smelled the fresh air.

"Squirtle, Squirt!" Squirtle cried out happily, putting its hands on its hips as if it was showing off.

"C'mon guys, let's go check it out!" Justin said running ahead. The whole group then started to run down the hill and into the scene. When they reached the bottom, their joy turned into confusion.

"...There's nobody's here...lame, this totally isn't what I expected."Justin whined while crossing his arms.

"Impossible, this place is always rocking," Aly said. They observed the area until Eevee spotted something.

"Ee-vee!" Eevee cried out to get Justin's attention.

"What's up pal?" Justin asked. He saw Eevee was pointing its paw at the lodge. Justin looked closer and saw a sign on the front door. They both ran towards the door to get a better read on it.

"Due to unexpected events, the lake and the lodge are currently closed for the time being." It read.

"Uh Aly, you might want to have a look at this," Justin said. Aly, Squirtle and Torchic then joined the other 2 to look at the sign.

"Unexpected Events? What does that mean?" Aly replied in a scared tone. Things were getting kind of weird for the group. But, they heard some noise behind them. After they turned around, they saw some Pokémon. There were Oddish around flowers, Sentret along the side of the lake and Butterfree flying over the lake.

"Hmm, there are usually more around here," Aly said.

"Maybe it has to do with...Hey look!" Justin said excitedly. He then pointed to the end shore side of the Lake. There was a blue Pokémon with a fin on top of its head and orange flaps on the sides of its mouth.

"Hey, it's a Mudkip!" Aly said. She then got out her Pokedex.

"_**Mudkip, the Mud Fish Pokémon. **__**To alert it, the fin on its head senses the flow of water. It has the strength to heft boulders**_**."**

The group then made its way towards the Mudkip on the other side of the Lake. Once they got there, the Mudkip then looked at them.

"It looks so cute!" Aly said.

"I'm gonna catch it!" Justin exclaimed.

"What about me?! What if I want to catch it?!"

"Because I called it first! Plus, you just tried to catch one and failed!" Justin smirked. Aly growled at him and began to yell back. The 2 began to argue, with Eevee and Squirtle trying to break up the fight. Torchic walked over towards Mudkip and started talking to it. All of a sudden, there was an intense bubbling occurring at the Lake. Torchic saw this and ran back towards Justin.

"Tor, Tor," Torchic cried out, pecking at Justin's leg.

"Listen Here, I-...You ok Torchic?" Justin asked looking down at Torchic. He got a glance at the Lake and looked on as the bubbling became more intense. Aly and the others turned around to see the phenomenon. Giant waves started to form as something had arisen for the lake. It was a blue Pokémon with 2 red eyeball-like figures and a set of evil eyes.

"It's a Tentacruel!" Justin called out. Aly then got out her Pokedex to check it out.

"_**Tentacruel, the jellyfish Pokémon. **__**Its 80 tentacles absorb water and stretch almost endlessly to constrict its prey and enemies."**_

"Ten-ta-cruel," Tentacruel cried out loudly, which caused the group to grimace from the sound. This seemed to be a bigger than usual Tentacruel, like almost 2 or 3 times its size. It was pretty much taller than the lake lodge...

"Whoa, check out the vocals of that thing! It seems super strong!" Justin remarked, sounding impressed.

"JUSTIN! THIS ISN'T THE TIME!" Aly yelled. Tentacruel then made one of its tentacles rise high in the air, and slammed it down hard right in front of the group. Justin, Aly and their Pokémon then flew backwards from the wind of the attack and landed on the ground.

"Why is that Tentacruel attacking us?" Justin asked.

"Oh no, what do we do?!" Aly said in a scared tone.

Tentacruel then looked down at Mudkip. It then raised one of its tentacles preparing to attack.

"Mudkip!" Justin cried. He then got up and ran towards Mudkip. Just before the tentacles landed, Justin was able to pick up Mudkip and escape the hit by jumping out of the way.

"Justin!" Aly shouted out. Eevee, Squirtle, Torchic and her ran towards the 2. "Are you guys all right?"

"I...I think," Justin said, grimacing from the pain. "How about you, Mudkip?"

"Mud," Mudkip said, nodding.

"This is dangerous, we better return our Pokemon." Aly cried out as she grabbed Squirtle's Pokeball and returned it. Justin grabbed Torchic's Pokeball from his belt before hearing a siren.

"Are you guys ok?" a voice called out from a distance. Justin and Aly looked to where the voice was coming from. It was a lady in blue, wearing what looks like a police uniform. She arrived in front of the group facing Tentacruel. "Charmeleon, Iet's go!"

The lady threw Pokeball in the air and out came a red Pokémon with a flame on its tail.

"Char!" Charmeleon cried out.

"Charmeleon, use smokescreen!" the lady commanded. Charmeleon then shot out a load of smoke from its mouth, blanketing the area with black clouds. This blocked the sight of the Tentacruel.

"C'mon, let's get out of here while we can," she suggested. Justin, Aly and their Pokémon all ran behind the lodge. As the smoke cleared, Tentacruel didn't see anyone anymore, so it just submerged in the lake.

* * *

"Is everyone ok?" the lady asked as the group was all panting from the run.

"Yea, I think so," Justin and Aly said, looking up at her.

"Hey, you're Officer Jenny!" Aly exclaimed. "I didn't know you guys were in Minero."

"Yep, the Jenny family is all over the Pokémon world. It's our duty to protect all people and Pokémon."

"I see. Thanks for saving us. By the way, my name is Aly, and this over here is Squirtle." Aly said, then pointing towards the turtle Pokémon.

"My name is Justin Riser! And this is Eevee and Torchic," Justin added.

"Please to meet you all," Jenny said.

"Jenny, what's going on here anyway? And what's with that Tentacruel too?"

"Ok, let's start from the beginning. This area attracted many people from all over to have a good experience. But then, this Tentacruel showed out of nowhere and started scaring people off. Eventually, people stopped visiting this place. It was then we knew we had to do something about this situation."

"But, do you know how Tentacruel appeared in the lake? And why is it attacking people?" Aly asked.

"We don't know. That's what we've been trying to figure out for weeks now. With that Tentacruel acting all crazy at the moment, I'm afraid the Lake won't be open for awhile," Jenny said sadly.

"We can try to battle it!" Justin suggested.

"You can't! Didn't you see how big and strong it is? You're Pokémon are no match for it," Jenny warned.

"Justin, she's right. You're not still enamoured by its strength are you?" Aly asked concernedly.

"No, this time I'm serious. Hey, if we battle it, maybe we can find a weak spot. We also might be able to find out the cause for its behaviour." Justin added.

"...Well, I guess it's worth a shot." Jenny said.

"Me and my Pokémon can handle it as long as we believe!" Justin said confidently. "Right guys?"

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out.

"Tor-chic!" Torhcic chirped.

"Mud-kip!" Mudkip cried out too.

"Seems like Mudkip wants to help out too." Aly remarked.

"Great! Mudkip, welcome to the team," Justin said, kneeling down towards Mudkip extending his hand.

"Mud-kip!" Mudkip cried out smiling, then placing its paw on Justin's hand. Eevee and Torchic then came over to extend their paw and foot to join the huddle.

"Justin...it's really dangerous. Please, just be careful," Aly said in a concerned tone.

"Don't worry Aly, I'll do my best."

* * *

The group made it back in front of the lake. Justin, Eevee, Torchic and Mudkip lined up before the shore on some damp dirt. Aly, Squirtle and Jenny were behind him.

"All right Tentacruel! Come on out wherever you are! Let's have a battle to see how powerful you really are!" Justin yelled out. There was silence for awhile. But then, bubbling occurred in the water once again. Before they knew it, the Tentacruel shot out from the depths of the lake and surfaced.

"Tenta-cruel," Tentacruel moaned in a terrifying voice.

"All right, I challenge you to a battle!" Justin said. "Eevee, the first move is yours. Use Tackle!"

Eevee started to charge right towards Tentacruel. Tentacruel shot out purple spikes at Eevee, which collided with the light brown Pokémon, sending it flying back towards Justin. Justin raised his arms and caught Eevee. Tentacruel then shot Poison spikes right at the group. Everyone dodged it by jumping back a few feet.

"That was Poison Sting! Be careful Justin," Jenny called out. Justin set Eevee back on the ground to join its teammates.

"All right, well, Torchic, use ember!"

"Tor-chic, chic, chic!" Torchic cried out, shooting fire balls out of its mouth towards Tentacruel. Tentacruel shot out its Poison sting to neutralize the attack with ease.

"Mudkip, use Water Gun!" Justin commanded.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out, shooting a stream of water towards Tentacruel. Tentacruel used a water gun of its own, which completely overpowered Mudkip's. It then made contact with Mudkip, sending flying backwards a few feet.

"Mudkip!" Justin shouted running back towards Mudkip. "Are you all right?" he asked holding it in his arms. Just then, Eevee and Torchic were both sent flying from a water gun attack.

"Eevee, Torchic!" Justin yelled out. Eevee got up all right, but Torchic was still down.

"Justin, Torchic is a fire type, so it's weak against water type moves. Call it back!" Jenny suggested.

"Good idea," he thought. Justin then used one of his hands to grab Torchic's Pokeball and returned it.

"Thanks for your help pal. Take a good rest," Justin said gently. He then stood back up and looked the Tentacruel head on.

"Listen Tentacruel. I don't know what your deal is, but your behaviour has to stop! You've caused trouble to the lake, tourists, wild Pokémon and more. Please, let's stop this before things get worse!"

"Tentacruel!" Tentacruel cried out loudly.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out. Jumping out of Justin's arms and stared the Tentacruel down. Tentacruel then whipped its tentacle right at Mudkip. Mudkip froze, preparing for impact.

"Mudkip no!" Justin called out. He sheltered Mudkip by embracing it. Tentacruel's tentacle then smashed into Justin, causing him to fly forwards and land hard on his back.

"Justin, no!" Aly cried out worriedly. She placed one of her hands on her chest and held tight. Some tears began to form in her eyes. "_I really wish I can help Justin...but, I'm too afraid. I need some confidence. Like what Justin has..."_

"Wow, that hurt," Justin said, grimacing in pain. He slowly sat back up and looked at Mudkip "Mudkip, how are you doing?"

"Mudkip," Mudkip cried out softly. Its eyes glowing at Justin.

"Heh heh, you're a brave little guy aren't ya! But it's just too strong to beat alone. Just chill with me," Justin told Mudkip. It then nodded. Justin then carried Mudkip in his arms again and walked slowly towards Tentacruel. Tentacruel's tentacles continued to wave all over the place, even near where Justin was standing. It started to bend over a bit, then stretch its body full out. That process repeated for awhile, continuing to wail its tentacles uncontrollably around. Something was definitely wrong with it.

"Justin, come back, we need to get to a safe distance!" Aly said.

"_That's weird, it looks like it's in pain," _Justin thought. Then, his thoughts were interrupted as he saw one of the tentacles come his way. He dodged it at the last second.

"C'mon!" Jenny called out.

"All right. Eevee, let's go," Justin called out to Eevee. Eevee then ran towards Justin, climbed onto his shoulder and they ran it away from the lake. The Tentacruel started to act funky, wailing is tentacles around, its eyelids clenched together. From its cry, it seemed like it was experiencing so much pain.

"What's wrong with Tentacruel?" Aly asked.

"I don't know. I've never seen it like this before." Jenny replied.

Tentacruel then gave a very angry look. Its eyes had changed colour to red. It then cried out and shot its poison sting all over the place. The points made contact trees, rocks, the lodge and the near the ground where the group was standing by. Smoke explosions set off everywhere, causing small debris from the ground to shoot up.

"Oh no, what is it doing?" Jenny asked, trying to avoid the poison points charging towards her.

Tentacruel continued its rampage, acting berserk and not caring about its surroundings. It was then that a helicopter came overhead and started to land near the lodge. It came to level with the Tentacruel and continued to float in the air. Justin noticed something, there was a radar satellite dish coming out of that chopper. It was emitting red waves in the direction of Tentacruel.

"I think those radio waves are causing Tentacruel to act all funny," Justin yelled, as it was very noisy from the helicopter's propellers.

Tentacruel continued its behaviour until finally, it collapsed on shore. The helicopter then landed on the ground. Out came 2 men in brown robes that ran towards Tentacruel, one of which was carrying a briefcase. When they arrived, the briefcase was opened and out came a small contraption that had a radar dish pointing towards Tentacruel.

"Initiate Power Consumption Beam," one of them said.

The other one nodded, and pressed a button. The point on the dish then emitted a bright light that surrounded Tentacruel within it, just like a Pokeball would.

"Something seems familiar about these guys," Aly said.

"You're right, and I think I know who they are," Justin said. "C'mon Aly, let's go."

The 2 of them then ran towards the shady bunch.

""Wait, come back here!" Jenny said, but it was too late so she just followed along. Justin and Aly continued to run towards the 2 men until one of them noticed.

"It's you kids again!" the man said.

"It's Team Immortal! What are you guys doing here?" Justin said.

"That's none of your business. Get lost!" The man shot back.

"You guys work for Team Immortal?" Jenny asked. "You guys are under arrest!"

"You know them too?" Aly asked.

"Yes. There have been rumors of secret syndicate that has been committing crimes of theft from multinational corporations. They've been really secretive about it as they have sneakily worked their way into the corporation's workforces. The name Team Immortal has been thrown around, so it's our top suspect for now."

"We won't let you interfere with our latest project, The Pokemon Boost Extractor." The first man explained.

"Latest project? Boost Extractor? "

"Yes. This device here absorbs the power and abilities of Pokémon. And the device on that helicopter emits EM waves that alters a Pokémon's mind and brings out their inner rage, doubling its strength. You see, there was a very extravagant scientist who was working on this contraption in a different reason. Thanks to our generous services, he gave this mechanism to us."

"So wait, you forced this Tentacruel to gain so much strength by messing with its neural system?" Jenny asked.

"And now you're absorbing all that power?" Aly asked as well.

"That explains everything now! The huge Tentacruel, its added strength and bad behaviour. It was all the work of Team Immortal." Justin exclaimed.

"You're right. This Tentacruel here, we emitted EM waves at it about a month ago as an experiment. We used this invention we received from a scientist in another region. Then, we tested it on this Tentacruel and it worked. And now we're absorbing its power." One of the guys explained.

"What?" Jenny asked surprised.

"Caius...is it smart for you to give them this kind of information? This is not the time to be cocky." the other man with the device asked.

"Relax Raiza. These kids can't be a threat to us." Caius said.

"_Transfer complete!" _the extracting device announced in a robotic voice.

"Mission complete I'd say." Caius announced.

"Not if we can help it! Eevee, use Tackle to destroy the machine!" Justin commanded. Eevee then jumped off his shoulder and landed on the ground. It started to charge towards the device.

"Sneasal, come out and block that attack!" Caius called out, throwing a pokeball in the air. Out came the Sneasal from before to block the machine and strike Eevee with its claws.

"Oh no, Eevee!" Justin cried out, running to the aid of his Pokemon.

"Raiza, get back to the chopper!" Caius said.

"Right!" Raiza said as he started to run back to the copter.

"Oh no you don't!" Jenny said, running to chase the other man.

"Aly, I'll take care of this guy; you go with Jenny after that guy." Justin explained.

"All right, good luck Justin," Aly replied. With that, she followed Jenny after the other grunt.

* * *

Justin and Eevee then stood right in front of Sneasal and the grunt of Team immortal on the damp dirt near the lake shore.

"Justin eh? That name sounds familiar. No matter, time to take my revenge on you for that last defeat back at the Pokémon Centre." Caius said.

"You're on! Round 2 versus the bad guys! Talk about super awesome!" Justin said back. He then placed the hurt Mudkip on the ground beside him.

"All right, Eevee use tackle!" Justin commanded.

"Ee-vee! Eevee cried out, charging towards the Sneasal.

"Sneasal, dodge!" Caius commanded. Sneasal just jumped out of the way. "Now, use slash attack!"

Sneasal then ran towards Eevee getting ready to swipe its sharp claws.

"Eevee, get out of there!" Justin called out.

"EE-VUIE!" Eevee cried out. Suddenly, about 10 Eevees formed around Sneasal. Sneasal then stopped in its tracks, confused at what happened.

"What the?"

"Awesome, Eevee is using double team! Nice job!" Justin exclaimed giving his Pokemon a thumbs up.

"Oh yea, well, I got one trick up my sleeve!" the grunt smiled cunningly. He then grabbed 2 other Pokeballs from his belt and threw it into the action. "Go Skorupi and Poocheyena!"

The Pokeball then shot out a pink and purple scorpion Pokémon and a black and grey pooch Pokémon.

"Skorupi and Poocheyena? Hey, you can't send out more Pokémon! It's not cool bro!" Justin called out.

"Doesn't matter, I need to win. Skorupi, use poison sting! Poocheyena, sand attack! Sneasal, icy wind!"

Sneasal then shot out a cold wind, Skorupi shot white points from its tail and Poocheyena then used its paw to lift sand off the ground towards the Eevees. They hit all of them, removing all the fakes and hitting the real Eevee hard. Eevee was sent backwards Justin from the attack.

"Eevee, no!" Justin then grabbed a Pokeball from his belt. "Go Torchic!"

He threw the Pokeball in the air and out came the orange chick Pokémon.

"Torchic!" Torchic chirped out.

"_He still has one more Pokémon than me, this is going to be tough," _Justin thought. Just then, he felt a nudge on his leg. He looked down to see Mudkip.

"Mudkip, Mud," Mudkip cried out, having the look of determination on its face.

"You want to help out too Mudkip?" Justin asked. Mudkip nodded. "All right. I'm counting on you." Mudkip then ran into the back to join Eevee and Torchic.

"You ain't so tough now that it's not 3 on 1, eh? Now guys, let's go!" The 3 Pokémon charged ahead.

"Eevee, use Quick Attack. Torchic, use ember! Mudkip, use water gun!" Justin commanded.

Eevee charged right at Sneasal with a burst of speed, colliding into it and causing Sneasal to fall backwards. Skorupi then dashed towards Eevee using Bite attack. Eevee jumped up into the air, dodging Skorupi's attack. Then, Torchic came right in front of Skorupi's vision and launched an ember attack right at it. This caused Skorupi to be sent flying backwards to Caius. Poocheyenna dashed at Torchic going to use a tackle attack. Just then Mudkip came between the 2 and shot its water gun at Poocheyenna, causing it to fall on its back. All three of the grunt's Pokémon were unable to battle anymore.

"Torchic!" Torchic chirped at Mudkip, smiling.

"Mud!" Mudkip cried out looking back at Torchic and nodding.

"What?! How could I lose to a kid?!" Caius shouted.

"All right. End this project now!" Justin shouted out. His Pokémon then let out a cry of agreement too. Caius then returned his Pokémon and ran towards the chopper.

* * *

Aly and Jenny caught up with the other grunt heading for the helicopter.

"Oh no you don't. Charmeleon, I choose you!" Jenny called out, throwing out her pokeball to summon Charmeleon. "Use flamethrower!"

"Char!" Charmeleon cried out, shooting out fire from its mouth right in front of the Raiza's direction. It caused him to stop.

"Well, it's time for me to use this!" Raiza grabbed 2 long ring devices from his pocket and threw them at Jenny. It expanded, hooped around her and Charmeleon and tightened around their bodies. Jenny and her Pokemon stumbled and fell over onto the ground.

"No! Jenny, are you ok?" Aly asked.

"I think so, but Charmeleon and I can't battle now. It's up to you to stop them!" Jenny exclaimed.

"Me? I don't think I can..."

"Aly, please! You can't let him get away. Be brave, I know you can do it!"

Aly stood in fear, but something then dawned on her. Jenny and Justin needed her help. This could be her chance to rebound. "...I'll...try," She remarked before turning to face Raiza.

"_All right...this is my first battle in Minero. Am I scared? Totally. But, there are people counting on me...I need to try."_

"You challenge me? Go, Pidgeotto!" Raiza shouted

The grunt put the device on the floor beside him and threw out a Pokeball, unleashing a bird-like Pokemon with brown feathers and a crest of pink feathers on tops of its head.

"Pidgeo-tto!" it cried out loud flapping its wings to create a gust. Aly braced herself from the wind for a bit before letting up. She grabbed a Pokeball from her belt.

"All right, Squirtle, use water gun!" Aly commanded as she threw the Pokeball in the air. Out came her Squirtle who right away shot water from its mouth at Pidgeotto.

"Pidgeotto, dodge it!" Raiza commanded.

Pidgeotto flapped its wings and flew up in the air, evading Squirtle's attack.

"Now use wing attack!" Pidgeotto dove down and charged towards Squirtle, hitting it with one of its wings that was glowing. Squirtle flew backwards and hit the ground hard.

"Squirtle! You ok? I'm so sorry!" Aly shouted worriedly. She began to run over to Squirtle before Jenny cried out to her.

"Aly, the battle's not over yet! Keep calm and continue to battle." Aly stopped running and looked back up at Raiza.

"Pidgeotto!, use leer!" Raiza commanded. Pidgeotto then gave Squirtle a scary look, causing Squirtle to freeze in a frightened state. "Now use wing attack again!"

Pidgeotto flew up into the air before beginning to descend downwards only to strike Squirtle again.

"Oh no Squirtle!" Aly shouted. Squirtle got up, but slowly. "_This is not good, I don't know..."_

"Pidgeotto, finish this with quick attack!" Pidgeotto, with a burst of speed, charged at Squirtle.

"Oh no! What do I do?!"

"Aly, don't give up!" Jenny shouted from the sidelines. Aly then came up with a split minute decision.

"Squirtle, use withdraw!" Aly commanded.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out hiding back in its shell. Pidgeotto collided right on with Squirtle, but ran into a very hard shell, causing it to recoil backwards.

"Now, Squirtle. Rapid Spin!" Squirtle, while still in its shell, then started to spin at a high speed. It then made its way towards Pidgeotto and hit it right on the head. This caused Pidgeotto to hold its head with its wings while wobbling backwards.

"What?!" Raiza said worriedly.

"Now Squirtle, Water gun!" Aly commanded.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out, shooting water from its mouth and aiming it at Scyther. The water made impact with the flying Pokemon, sending it flying onto the ground.

"No, Pidgeotto!" Raiza called out. Pidgeotto slowly got back up.

"This is so cool! I'm actually fighting back!" Aly said jumping for joy, along with Squirtle. Jenny somehow managed to escape the bind from Raiza's trap. She ran up to Aly and gave her thumbs up.

"Great job Aly! You're doing well!" Jenny exclaimed.

"Hmph, this battle isn't over yet. Pidgeotto, use-" Raiza cried out before stopping his speech. H looked to his right and saw Caius running towards him, getting chased by Justin and his Pokémon.

"There's no time to waste, we must leave now!" Caius yelled after catching up with him. He was carrying their absorption device in his hands as well.

"...Fine!" Raiza returned his Pidgeotto to its Pokeball and ran towards their helicopter. Justin, Aly, Jenny and their Pokemon pursued them, but couldn't keep up. They both got on the chopper, started it up and began to fly.

"They got away..." Jenny said in disgust. She then walked towards the shore where Team Immortal's machine they left behind.

"This is the machine they used to alter Tentacruel's mind!" Justin stated.

"You're right!" Jenny said, holding the machine in her hands. The group then looked at the collapsed Tentacruel, who didn't move an inch.

"We got to help it!" Justin said. Just then the machine started to glow and emit a bright light. The radar pointer then shot out red waves towards Tentacruel. This caused Tentacruel to wake up and act all angry again. Its eyes glowed red and started to wail around.

"Tentacruel!" Tentacruel cried out, shooting poison stings all over the place.

"We have to stop that machine!" Aly cried out.

"I know, but this stupid machine isn't responding!" Jenny said, pressing buttons to try to turn it off.

"Leave it to me! Jenny, set it down on the floor! I'll save you Tentacruel!" Justin said. Jenny listened and placed it on the ground.

"Torchic, use ember!" Justin commanded as he threw its Pokeball in the air. Out came Torchic which then shot out its ember attack right at the machine, causing it to explode. Just then, Tentacruel stopped what it was doing. The poison stings stopped firing; its eyes turned back to normal colour and had a blank look.

"Tenta-cruel," moaned Tentacruel, acting all confused.

"Hey, I think it worked!" Aly said. It was then that Tentacruel fall forward onto the shore, just missing the group. It looked exhausted.

"Oh no, Tentacruel!" Justin said, running towards the Pokémon. Aly and Jenny came over as well.

"It looks hurt," Aly said worriedly.

"I think we should call Nurse Joy out here. Amethyst City is just about 10 minutes away, so she can come here in a jiffy," Jenny said, she then pulled out a phone in order to make a call to the Pokémon Centre. Justin and Aly were at Tentacruel, massaging its tentacles and head. All their Pokémon gathered near its face that was planted sideways on the ground.

"Don't worry Tentacruel, everything is going to be fine," Justin said calmly.

"Yeah, Nurse Joy will be coming soon to take care of you. Just hang in there," Aly said.

Eevee, Torchic, Mudkip and Squirtle all cried out together in order to support Tentacruel.

"Ten-ta," Tentacruel moaned softly. It was seen opening its eyes for a moment, and then closed them.

* * *

"This Tentacruel is suffering from exhaustion. I gave it some medicine. A good rest and Tentacruel should be back to normal." Nurse Joy said happily.

She had just arrived about 15 minutes ago and had done a full examination on Tentacruel at the Lake. There were a bunch of Police officers around the area talking to Jenny about what happened. Justin, Eevee, Torchic, Mudkip, Aly and Squirtle stood by Tentacruel. The entire shoreline was pretty wrecked up where the dirt was very damp and the grass fields were patchy.

"It looks like you're going to be ok Tentacruel!" Justin said happily.

"I'm so glad," Aly said, with a sigh of relief.

"Tentacruel," Tentacruel moaned. Its eyes showed gratitude towards the group. They all smiled back.

"You take care of yourself ok?" Justin asked.

"Tentacruel," Tentacruel moaned out in agreement. It then submerged back into the lake.

"Well, see you again sometime Tentacruel," Aly said. She then turned around and saw Officer Jenny walking towards them.

"I want to thank both of you for all your help today," Jenny said.

"Aw, it was nothing!" Justin said with a smile on his face.

"Now thanks to you guys, the Lake can finally be re-opened again to the public!" Jenny said.

"All right! That's wonderful news!" Aly exclaimed.

"Hey, are there any leads on Team Immortal yet?" Justin asked.

"Unfortunately not. But you can be assured that our search will continue and not stop until we have those crooks!" Jenny said confidently.

"Sounds good!" Aly remarked.

"Well, we should really be going now. It's been a long day, and we got to get to Amethyst City before nightfall." Justin explained.

"No worries. Take care guys!" Jenny said, walking away while waving.

"Thanks and goodbye!" Justin and Aly both said, waving right back.

* * *

"Man, that Team Immortal eh?" Justin said to Aly. "Using machines to control and absorb the energy of Pokémon? That's just horrible."

"I know. I wonder where they plan to strike next." Aly wondered.

"I don't know. But hey, I heard you held your own against the Team Immortal Grunt!"

"Yeah, I did! It was totally nerve-wracking, but near the end I started to get the hang of it!"

"I knew you could do it Aly. It's just a matter of time before you're back in the game!" Justin exclaimed as he raised his hand for a high five, which Aly returned.

"Thanks Justin! Anyways, we should get going now." Justin then looked down at Mudkip. "Well Mudkip. I guess this is goodbye."

"Mudkip," Mudkip cried out sadly. Justin then returned Torchic back to its Pokeball, and Aly returned Squirtle back to its own Pokeball. Eevee then hopped back on Justin's shoulder.

"See ya! Thanks for all your help!" Justin said. He and Aly began to turn around and walk back on route. As they walked a few meters, they turned around to notice that Mudkip was following them.

"Oh, you're still here?" Justin asked.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out. It then ran towards Justin and jumped into his arms.

"It seems as though Mudkip wants to join you Justin," Aly said.

Justin looked down at Mudkip. "Is that true Mudkip?" he asked the blue Pokémon.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip said nodding and smiling.

"All right then." Justin said. He then lowered to the ground and let Mudkip back onto it.

"Welcome to the team!" Justin said excitedly, as he threw a Pokeball into the air.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out happily. It jumped up and tapped the Pokeball with its fin. It opened up and engulfed Mudkip in a red beam of light, transferring it into the ball. The Pokeball then dropped to the floor and rocked back and forth a bit before settling down. Justin walked up to the Pokeball to pick it up.

"This is awesome! I got myself a Mudkip!" Justin said happily, raising the Pokeball in the air.

"Eevee!" Eevee cried out happily as well.

"That's great Justin. But...why do you always have to catch them!" Aly whined.

"Hmm, maybe it's because I called it first!" He replied back with a silly smirk on his face.

"WHAT?! Yeah ok! You-" The 2 continued to argue as they walked along the dirt path into the sunset, where Justin eagerly awaits his chance to challenge the Amethyst Gym and win his first badge.

* * *

The Team Immortal helicopter was approaching its landing platform. "Do you think that kid with the Eevee poses a threat to us?" Raiza asked.

"Well, out of all our missions, he was the only one to fight back. He was strong too," Caius explained. "That kid though. His name was Justin. I swear I know who he is."

"I think we should report this to the boss."

* * *

_**Next chapter will be Justin's first gym battle.**_


	7. Chapter 7 - First Gym Leader

_**Please excuse the typo I had on the Chapter 6 title. I originally had it as Mystery of the Lake, but it's actually called Lakeside Enemies. I hadn't realized this until posting this chapter.**_

* * *

**Chapter 7: First Gym Leader**

Justin and Aly had arrived at Amethyst City before nightfall. They stood before the entrance of the city where a sign on the road read "Welcome to Amethyst City!"

"Finally, we're here!" Aly said. They continued to walk through the city. There were tall buildings all over, both big name corporations and town apartments. The entire area was about twice the size as Mineral town. Each of them had a purple scheme colour to them. The streetlights were lit up, giving the city night scene a beautiful sight to see. A cool breeze flew in, dropping the temperature by a bit. Justin and Aly put on their jackets and walked a little quicker to avoid getting a chill. They finally arrived at the local Pokémon Centre and went inside. It had a different interior layout than the Centre on Route 401. The walls were a dark purple with light green couches and seats. Other trainers and people were in the centre interacting with each other. Justin and Aly both spotted Nurse Joy at the front counter.

"Nurse Joy! Can you please take care of my Pokémon?" Justin and Aly both asked walking up to her.

"Why of course. I'll get to them right away." Nurse Joy said with a smile on her face. "Oh Chansey!"

A Chansey then came from around the corner with a stretcher and pokeball trays on it. Justin and Aly put their Pokeballs on the tray.

"Eevee, I'll see you in a bit, ok?" Justin told Eevee.

"Phvy!" Eevee cried out and nodded. It then jumped onto the stretcher as well. Chansey then pulled the stretcher and turned it around in order to push it around the corner.

"Now, why don't we get something to eat?" Justin suggested.

"Yeah, I'm starving!" Aly replied. The 2 then went to the dining hall and got some food to eat. They entered the dining hall, got some food and grabbed a seat.

"So, do you even know anything about the gym here? Like whom the gym leader is and what type of Pokémon they use?" Aly asked while eating her meal.

"Uhhhhhh...not a clue!" Justin smiled brightly. "I figure my drive and passion will lead me to victory."

Aly sighed in disappointment. "Of course it will...Well, it wouldn't hurt to do a little planning."

"... I guess you're right," Justin sighed. Aly rolled her eyes at his behaviour. It was just then that they saw 2 people walking their way, talking to each other.

"So how did your gym battle go with Harry?" the one boy asked.

"Well, I lost, but we did better this time than the last. His Psychic Pokémon are extremely tough," the other boy said back. They both walked by the table where Justin overheard their whole conversation.

"Well, that's that. I'm fighting psychic Pokémon tomorrow."

"If that's the case, types that are super effective against it are Dark, Ghost and Bug moves." Aly explained. "It's too bad none of your Pokémon know any of those move types."

"Well, I'll figure it out." Justin said. "And when I win tomorrow, I'll have my first gym badge!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself superstar." Aly giggled.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Justin said laughing too.

* * *

After they had finished their food, Chansey came by with the stretcher that had Eevee and both Justin and Aly's pokeballs on it. The 2 finished then chilled out in the Centre's lounge for awhile before deciding to pack it in.

"Well, it's getting late. Let's go to bed early so you'll be rested for your battle tomorrow." Aly suggested.

"Ok sure. Are you going to challenge the gym leader too?" Justin asked. Aly looked down with a sad expression on her face.

"Uh, I'm not sure I'm ready to challenge a gym just yet. I mean...I just figured out battling back in Amethyst Lake..." She said sadly.

"Oh...ok. Well, take all the time you need to figure it out Aly. If you need any help, I'm here for you!" Justin said, giving a thumbs up to her.

"Thanks Justin. You're sweet." Aly said, with a brighter expression on her face. The 2 of them made their way to the bedrooms located in the centre.

"Ok, so, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." Justin said as he walked towards his room.

* * *

Early morning Justin, Eevee, and Aly made their way to the Amethyst Gym just a few blocks west from the Pokemon Centre. It was a big building that was very wide and had a sleek purple colour to it. The windows shined brightly from the sun above.

"Ok, this is it." Justin said, shaking a little nervously. The 2 then entered through the gym's doors. They entered a small room with a small desk right at the back. There was a woman sitting behind it, into her paperwork. Justin and Aly walked towards her.

"Hi, I'd like to challenge this gym's leader to a battle!" Justin said excitedly.

"Why yes, of course! Can I just get your name?" the woman asked politely.

"My name is Justin Riser from Eruva!"

"Welcome Justin to the Amethyst Gym. My name is Tara. Our leader is right this way."

"Sure!"

"Um, excuse me miss, but are you going to battle as well?" Tara asked Aly.

"Me? Oh no, not now. I'm here to cheer my friend on," Aly said, looking away shyly.

"I see. That's all right. Now, if you both would just follow me, we'll get to the arena." Justin and Aly followed Tara through the main doors. Inside was a huge arena with a purple walls and gold bleachers. The floors had a nice shine to it, with the outlines of a Pokémon battlefield marked on it.

"Man, everything is purple here..." Justin remarked to Aly, who giggled at his deduction.

"Harry! You've got a challenger!" Tara called out.

Justin and Aly looked around to find this Harry. A few seconds after, doors opened from the other side of the arena. Out came a tall man with long brown hair, brown pants, a purple shirt and a black cape.

"Welcome challengers! My name is Harry, the Amethyst's Gym Leader!" Harry shouted as he raised his arms to the sky, showing off the arena. Harry then jumped up into the air, doing a flip and landing in a flashy pose. He then strutted with finesse and elegance towards Justin and Aly.

"_So, that's the gym leader? Wow, this guy is something..." _Justin thought to himself. "Hi, I'm Justin. If you'd be so kind sir, I'd like to challenge you to a battle!"

"Why of course! Let's make this a great match! Let's see how you're style of battling compares to mine!" Harry announced, swaying his arms from left to right dramatically, and then giving thumbs up. A sweat mark dropped on the back of Justin's head.

"Heh heh. Yeah, sure..." Justin laughed softly.

"_This guy is as dramatic as Justin." _Aly thought to herself, giggling a bit.

"And you, beautiful young lady! Will you be challenging the gym too?" Harry asked, pointing at Aly.

"Uh, well, you see...I'm just..." Aly stuttered, looking away shyly again. Justin then stepped forward.

"Aly's on a little break now from Pokemon battling. It's been a bit tough for her recently so she's...kind of recharging. She wants to be 100% ready before she gets back into the grind." Aly looked at him, surprised that Justin stood up for her.

"Mmm, I see. Young Lady, Aly was your name, yes?" Harry asked.

"Um, that's right sir." Aly replied.

"Please, call me Harry! Well Aly. Maybe this battle will help give you some spark to get back on your journey. Looking at your friend here, I can tell this is going to be a battle to remember."

"Uh, ok sure."

"All right Justin, are you ready?" Harry asked, looking back at Justin.

"Sure am!" Justin said, raising his fist with the look of determination on his face.

* * *

Justin and Harry stood at opposite ends of the battle field. Each having a serious game face on. Eevee stood right beside Justin.

"Go Justin!" Aly cheered from the stands. Squirtle was out too, waving pom-poms in the air. Tara was sitting right next to them.

"The Pokémon battle between Justin and Gym Leader Harry will now begin. Each competitor will be able to use 2 Pokémon each. Only the challenger will be allowed to substitute their Pokémon. Now, choose your Pokémon!" The battle judge called out.

"Hope you're ready Justin. I see that this is your first gym battle. I'm about to show you the strength of a gym leader!" Harry announced, doing a Pirouette and then pointing at Justin in an artistic pose. Another sweat mark dropped from the back of Justin's head.

"Go, Ralts!" Harry threw his Pokeball ever so gracefully. Out from the ball came a small white Pokémon with a beige round head with red tips on it.

"Wow, a Ralts!" Justin said joyfully surprised. He then got out his pokedex.

"_**Ralts, the feeling Pokémon. The horns on its head provide a strong power that enables it to sense people's emotions."**_

"This is so cool! Never battled a psychic type before! Ok, well, here's my choice." Justin said as he got a Pokeball from his belt. "Go, Torchic!"

Out came the Orange Chick Pokemon onto the field.

"Now that the Pokemon have been chosen, let the battle begin!" the Battle judge shouted.

"Now Torchic, start with peck attack!" Justin commanded. Torchic then started to charge towards Ralts with its beak glowing.

"Ralts, teleport," Harry called out calmly. The small Pokemon then disappeared from where it was. This caused Torchic to stop in its tracks, looking around to see where Ralts went.

"What? It disappeared!" Justin said, nervously looking around to find Ralts with Torchic was doing the same.

"Now, come out and use flash!" Harry called out! Ralts suddenly appeared right in front of Torchic and then created an extremely bright illumination. This caused Torchic and Justin to quickly close their eyes to avoid blindness.

"Follow up with confusion!" Harry commanded.

In the blinding light, a blue outline formed around Ralts. Torchic had a blue outline surround itself too. It then grimaced in pain as Ralts psychic powers were weakening it. Torchic was raised into the air right into the flash attack. The bright flash imploded and created a light glittering explosion. It caused Torchic, as well as sparkles of light, to fall to the field.

"Oh no, Torchic!" Justin called out.

"Wow that was really something. Ralts' attack was punishing, yet beautiful at the same time. That looked really cool!" Aly remarked from the stands.

"Torchic, are you ok?"

"Torchic!" Torchic chirped out as it shook off the effects from Ralts' attack.

"Nice! Now, let's show them your ember attack!" Justin commanded.

Torchic then shot balls of fire from its mouth towards Ralts. They made direct contact on Ralts, sending it flying backwards as it landed on its side.

"All right! Nice job Torchic!" Justin exclaimed.

"Torchic!" Torchic chirped happily as it looked back at Justin, smiling.

"This isn't over yet, my friend!" Harry said. Ralts quickly got back up.

"Let's finish this with a peck attack!" Justin commanded. Torchic charged right at Ralts with its beak lighting up.

"Double Team!" Harry commanded.

Ralts then formed a circle around Torchic with illusions of itself. Torchic's beak stopped glowing as it was confused where the real Ralts was.

"Now dazzle them with your Flash!" Harry commanded.

All the Ralts raised their hands to the sky, creating bright illuminations of light above Torchic. The light was so great that Justin and Torchic closed their eyes shut. The light began to dim a little and rose towards the ceiling. Justin and Torchic opened their eyes now that the sight was more bearable. As they looked on, Ralts was nowhere to be found.

"Tor?" Torchic chirped in confusion.

"Wow, they disappeared, talk about sick!" Justin remarked.

"JUSTIN! FOCUS!" Aly shouted from the stands. Justin realized he was admiring his opponent's Pokemon again and shifted focus back to the battle and looked for Ralts

"For our final act! Use Confusion!" Harry commanded, pointing towards the illumination in the air.

Justin and Torchic looked up at the bright circle of light. There was a small shadow that appeared to be Ralts floating in the air. A blue outline formed around itself, which then made one appear around Torchic as well. Torchic grimaced as it felt the pain of the confusion attack. Ralts then raised its arm, which caused Torchic to rise off the ground. Ralts then whipped its arm to the left, sending Torchic into that direction and making it collide with the wall. This caused a smoke cloud to cover the air where Torchic was.

"Oh no Torchic!" Justin called out.

Once the cloud disappeared, Torchic re-appeared. It was lying on the ground with swirls on its eyes.

"Torchic is unable to battle. This means that Ralts is the winner!" The battle judged called out.

"Torchic!" Justin said as he ran towards the worn out chick Pokémon. He kneeled down and lifted Torchic into his arms.

"Torchic, are you okay?" Justin asked softly.

"Tor- chic," Torchic replied sadly, its eyes returning to normal.

"I'm sorry Torchic. I should have concentrated more to look for Ralts. You were great. Take a nice rest." Justin said, grabbing its Pokeball from his belt and returning it. He then looked on at Ralts and Harry. Ralts then floated back down to the ground, sparkling from the combination of flash and confusion.

* * *

"Wow that was a tough battle for Justin. He shouldn't have lost his focus though, I hope he learns from that. I wonder what he'll do next." Aly said on the sidelines.

"Harry seems different from the other trainers I've seen battle."

"That's because Harry use to be a Pokémon Co-ordinator." Tara explained.

"Pokémon Co-ordinator?"

"Yeah. It's someone who competes in Pokémon Contests. A Pokémon Contest is where coordinators try to show off how beautiful and skilled a Pokémon can be. Appearance, attack combinations and special talents are examples of what to focus on in a contest."

"Wow, that's really neat. So, does that mean Ralts was used in contests way back?" Aly asked.

"No. Most of the Pokémon he used during his time as a coordinator are at his parent's house. This Ralts used now is pretty new. Harry caught it a while ago and has been working with it since."

"Wow that's awesome. I'd love to go see Harry in a contest. Or even one without him."

* * *

"Justin that was a good battle you put up with Torchic. But to win, you'll have to show me more. This is good experience for you, battling a gym leader. Hope you didn't plan on making it short." Harry announced.

"I'm just getting started Harry!" Justin said. _"I guess I should focus more. Well, live and learn. Gym leaders are incredible. No wonder those people back at the Pokemon Centre had a hard time with him."_

He then looked down at Eevee, who then looked back at him.

"Are you ready Eevee?" Justin asked.

"Puh-Phvy!" Eevee cried out nodding.

"All right, let's go!" Justin said. Eevee then ran onto the battlefield.

"Now that the challenger has chosen his 2nd Pokémon Eevee, this battle may now resume!" the battle judge called out.

"Ralts, opening act! Use Confusion!" Harry commanded. Ralts then started to glow and formed a blue outline around itself. The blue outline formed around Eevee, who started to feel its energy being drained.

"Quick Eevee, use sand attack!" Justin commanded. Eevee mustered the power to use its paws and swiped some dirt from the battlefield right at Ralts. It made contact with the Pokémon's eyes, causing its confusion to stop and rub its eyes to try and get the sand out.

"Now Eevee, use quick attack!" Justin commanded. Eevee then charged at Ralts with a burst of speed. It made full contact with Ralts, causing it to be sent flying backwards.

"Ralts, quick, use confusion!" Harry commanded. Ralts fell towards the ground, but regained its composure and started to use its confusion attack on Eevee.

"Won't work! Eevee, use double team!" Justin commanded.

Eevee then formed about 10 illusions of itself. Ralts became confused as where the real one was. It landed on the ground, but stopped readying its confusion attack.

"Oh no, I can't tell which is the real one!" Harry said.

"Now, use Tackle!" Justin commanded.

The Eevees then started to charge towards Ralts. Just before contact, all the Eevee mirages disappeared. The real Eevee was right in front of Ralts and slammed hard into Ralts. Ralts was sent flying backwards before landing on its back.

Ralts slowly got up, but was too worn out.

"Finish it up with Tackle Eevee!" Justin commanded.

Eevee charged right at Ralts at good speed.

"Ralts, Teleport!" Harry commanded.

Ralts got ready to teleport, but it was very weak that the teleport delayed and wasn't quick enough to avoid Eevee's tackle. Ralts was send backwards and landed on its back. Its eyes had swirls on them.

"Ralts is unable to battle! This round goes to Eevee!" the battle judge called out.

"Nice work Eevee! Keep it up!" Justin called out to Eevee.

"Ee-vee!" Eevee cried out happily, looking back at Justin and smiling.

* * *

"Wow that was so awesome! They took out Ralts pretty quickly." Aly said.

"Yeah, that was quite impressive. But remember, Ralts was already tired from the previous battle with Torchic. Up against Harry's next Pokémon, that will be Justin's true test." Tara said.

"Why's that?"

"This next Pokemon Harry has, was with him during his contest days." Tara said smiling.

* * *

"Well done Justin. You rebounded very well. I must say your battling style shows your passion for Pokemon and battling." Harry said calmly.

"Thanks Harry!" Justin exclaimed.

"Now, let's see how you do against this Pokemon!" Harry shouted, as he grabbed his Pokeball from his belt and raised it up in the air.

Justin took note of that Pokeball. It wasn't the red and white standard one he usually sees.

"Go, Kadabra!" Harry called out, as he threw the Pokeball towards the battle arena. The Pokeball opened up, creating a light to release the enclosed Pokeball. What also happened was golden stars came out of the ball and danced majestically around the Pokeball and illuminated Pokemon. Out came a yellow Pokemon with 2 spoons in its hands. The stars burst and created a sparkle around Kadabra, showing off its beauty.

"AWESOME! A Kadabra!" Justin squealed. He took out his Pokedex to view more information on it.

"_**Kadabra, the psi Pokemon. If it uses its abilities, it emits special alpha waves that cause machines to malfunction." **_

"Justin, this is the true test of your skills. This Kadabra I had with me when I was like you on a journey. It won't be an easy fight." Harry said.

"I'm ready for the challenge Harry! Bring it on!" Justin said. "Eevee, let's start with a tackle!"

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out. It started to run and charged right at Kadabra.

"Use Reflect," Harry commanded calmly. Kadabra then surrounded itself in a box made of clear walls. Eevee collided with the walls and bounced backwards in pain.

"Use confusion on the reflect walls!"

"Kadabra!" Kadabra cried out as its eyes started to glow. The reflect walls had a blue aura around it as it started to tremble. Moments later, the walls broke into glass shards and were sent towards Eevee.

"Eevee! Dodge that!" Justin commanded. Eevee jumped out of the way to avoid the glass shards being shot its way.

"Now use Psybeam!" Harry called out.

Kadabra shot a colourful beam of psychic energy from its spoons towards Eevee, who wasn't ready for the attack after evading the reflect shards. It hit Eevee head on, sending it flying backwards in front of Justin.

"Eevee! You okay?" Justin asked.

Eevee got up quickly and nodded its head.

"This attack was amazing! Now it's our turn to counter, let's use sand attack!"

"Eevee!" Eevee cried out as it charged towards Kadabra. On its way, Eevee used its paw to sweep the floor and shoot sand at Kadabra. The sand hit Kadabra in the face, causing its vision to be impaired.

"Now, quick attack!" Justin commanded.

Eevee then charged at Kadabra at a fast speed. It made contact with Kadabra, shifting it backwards a bit and causing the Pokemon to grimace from the pain. Kadabra shook it off quickly and wiped its eyes to see clearly again.

"Eevee, let's do that again. Use sand attack!" Justin commanded.

"Ee-vee!" Eevee cried out as it charged at Kadabra again. It got ready to sweep sand in Kadabra's face.

"Hmm, not this time. Kadabra, use confusion!" Harry commanded. Kadabra's eyes glowed and a blue aura surrounded it. Eevee swept the sand right at Kadabra. The sand however didn't hit Kadabra. It started to swirl around Kadabra, causing a mini sand tornado. The winds caused Eevee to stop in its tracks and try to hang tight to the ground. Kadabra then floated to the top of the tornado.

"Now use Psybeam!" Harry commanded. Kadabra shot a beam of psychic energy towards Eevee. It hit Eevee and caused a mini smoke explosion. Eevee flew out of the smoke and landed on its back.

"Eevee no!" Justin called out. Eevee slowly started to get up. It was really worn out now. The sand tornado subsided and Kadabra floated back onto the ground. There were sparkles around Kadabra caused by the left over psychic energy in the air.

"Kadabra, time to wrap this up. Use Psybeam!" Harry commanded.

"Ka-da-brah!" Kadabra cried out as it unleashed another psybeam towards Eevee. The beam got closer and closer to Eevee, but the small brown Pokemon didn't move, looking like it was ready to embrace the hit. Its eyes then slowly closed.

"EEVEE!" Justin called out in desperate concern.

Eevee's eyes shot back open. It jumped up into the air to dodge the psybeam. It then raised one of its paws in the air and a dark ball of energy started to form.

Justin gasped. "Whoa. No way!"

"What's this?!" Harry said in disbelief.

Eevee finished charging up its shadow ball on its paw. It then moved its arm towards Kadabra, which released the shadow ball as well. It hit Kadabra straight on, causing a mini smoke explosion and Kadabra to cry in pain. It fell backwards onto its back.

"That was Shadow Ball! A ghost type move super effective against Psychic types!" Justin exclaimed. Eevee then landed back on the ground.

"Eevee, that was incredible! Way to learn shadow ball in the nick of time!" Justin praised his Pokemon.

"Puh-Phvy!" Eevee cried out and nodded while still facing the opposition.

Kadabra slowly got back up.

"This isn't good. We better finish this up fast. All right Kadabra! Use Psybeam!" Harry commanded.

"Kadabra!" Kadabra said, as it shot its psybeam from its spoons in the direction of Eevee.

"Eevee, use shadow ball!" Justin commanded.

Eevee then charged up a shadow ball and unleashed it towards the psybeam. The 2 attacks collided in the middle and created a smoke explosion. Harry braced himself for the smoke by raising his arms up to protect his face. As it was subsiding, he put down his arms to find the Pokemon.

"Eevee, use quick attack!" Justin commanded. This caught Harry off guard since he was still recovering from the smoke explosion. Eevee appeared from the smoke and hit Kadabra with a powerful quick attack. It sent Kadabra flying into the air.

"Now, finish it with Shadow Ball!" Justin commanded.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out as it shot a shadow ball at the mid-air Kadabra. It caused another min smoke explosion to form around the airborne Pokemon. A few moments after, Kadabra fell from the smoke onto the ground. It had swirls around its eyes.

"Kadabra is unable to battle! Eevee wins! Which means the victor of this gym battle goes to Justin of Revo Town!" the battle judge announced.

"WE DID IT! WE DID IT! WE DID IT!" Justin cheered out loud as he jumped for joy.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out happily as it ran back towards Justin before jumping into his arms. Justin embraced Eevee and hugged it tight. Justin lifted Eevee up to eye level.

"You were amazing Eevee! The way you learned shadow ball midway through that battle was incredible!" Justin said proudly.

"Ee-vee, Ee!" Eevee said happily, smiling.

"All right! They won, they won! This is so awesome!" Aly said with her hands clasped together.

"Hey, your friend was pretty good out there. He has a bright future ahead of himself," Tara said.

Harry walked towards Kadabra on the battlefield before kneeling besides the yellow psychic Pokemon. "Kadabra, are you all right?" he asked it.

"Da-brah," Kadabra said softly.

"You were marvelous Kadabra. Well done," Harry added as he returned the psychic Pokemon back to its Pokeball. He then got up and walked towards Justin and Eevee.

"Justin, that was a splendid battle! I'm impressed that your Eevee learned that move during our battle. What really stood out to me though was your passion and drive. You enjoy Pokemon battles more that any challenger I've ever faced. Keep it up and you'll go far! "

"Thanks for your kind words!" Justin remarked brightly.

"It is with great pleasure that I give you this Amethyst badge." Harry said as he extended his hand that held a purple round badge.

"Thanks Harry!" Justin said as he received it from Harry's hand. Aly and Tara then joined in on the group.

"Hey Justin, awesome job out there!" Aly said, raising her hand for a high five from him.

"Thanks Aly!" Justin said back, as he gave her a high-five.

"By the way Harry, your battling style and Pokemon were just gorgeous. I had no idea you were a coordinator.." Aly remarked.

"Why thank you Aly. I'm glad you enjoyed that." Harry said.

"Watching your battle made me all excited. Your battling style made it beautiful too. Hey, maybe I'll become a coordinator too!"

"Really?" Justin asked in shock. "

"Well, maybe, I don't know...I guess there are gym battles too...and..."

"Aly, there are many different goals that people have. Trainers, Coordinators, Breeders, etc. The world is a big place out there. Be open when choosing your path! Take a look at everything. When the time is right, you'll know what you want to do." Harry explained.

Justin looked up to try and understand what Harry said. "...Uh yeah, what he said!"

"Right!" Aly smiled.

* * *

Justin, Aly, Harry and Tara stood outside of the gym. The sun was just setting. Eevee was on Justin's shoulder while Squirtle was carried Aly's arms.

"Well Justin, the next gym for you will be Ruby City. All you have to do is take Route 402." Harry said.

"Thanks Harry," Justin said.

"And Aly, there's a Pokemon contest happening in the Town of Jade. It's just west of here, right along Route 402. That's your chance to actually see a real live contest." Tara explained to Aly.

"That's great! I definitely check it out!" Aly said.

"One more thing for you, Justin." Harry said. He then reached into his pockets and brought out something in his hands.

"This is for you Justin. It's a badge case where you can put all your badges you win in here."

Wow, thanks Harry!" Justin said as he took the gift from his hands.

"And for you Aly. One last piece of advice. It's pretty simple, but helpful: 'If you don't try, you'll never know'."

Aly looked at him and nodded. "Got it!"

"Best of luck on both of your journeys!" Harry remarked

"Good luck you two!" Tara said.

"Thanks, Goodbye!" Justin and Aly said as they started to walk away in the other direction.

* * *

Justin and Aly continued to walk towards the end of Amethyst City and the entrance to Route 402

"Wow, my first badge!" Justin said as he stared at his badge case containing the Amethyst badge. "Isn't it great Eevee?" he asked it.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out, nodding and smiling.

"I'm proud of you buddy! With me, you, Torchic, Mudkip, and the other Pokemon we catch, we're only going to get better!"

"I'm very happy for you Justin," Aly said softly.

"Thanks Aly! Now, it's off to the Town of Jade for that Pokémon Contest."

"Yeah, can't wait for that!"

"So, did you get any of that advice Harry gave you? I'm a little lost..." Justin asked. Aly sighed at her friend's naivety.

"You'll see..." Aly winked. Justin looked confused, but quickly brushed it off as the 2 trainers set off for Route 402.

* * *

_**AN: Hope the battle was clear to understand. As usual, feedback is appreciated. **_


	8. Chapter 8 - The Fire Protector

**Chapter 8: The Fire Protector**

The sun shined down hard on Justin and Aly. It was very hot out with not much of a breeze. The 2 were taking a lunch break on their journey to Limestone Village along Route 402. The area was more less the same as the previous routes with a dirt path, grassy fields all around with the occasional rock formation along the path. Eevee, Squirtle, Torchic and Mudkip were all out of their Pokeballs eating Pokémon food.

"Keep your eyes closed. I'm going to find a place to change into my bathing suit top," Aly said.

"Gotcha..." Justin moaned as he covered his face.

Aly picked up her bag and walked away. After searching around the area, she found a large enough tree to fully hide her. Aly made her way behind the tree and opened her bag for that bathing suit top. Just as she put on her bikini top, the heat intensified even more.

"This is strange. How can it just get hotter within a few seconds?" Aly exclaimed. She then heard something behind her. As she looked backwards, there was a bunch of grass Pokémon standing in a circle. They appeared to be Nuzleaf, Oddish, Sunflora and Bellsprout.

"Hey, look at all the Grass Pokémon!" Aly exclaimed. She picked up her bag, and ran towards them. This startled all the grass Pokemon. The Oddish and Nuzleaf hid behind the Sunflora and Bellsprout. All of them had a scared look on their face.

"Oh wait...don't worry. I'm not here to cause trouble," Aly said as she raised her hand to calm the scared Pokemon. All of a sudden, something was dashing towards her. Before Aly got a chance to see what it was, it ran right into her, knocking her backwards.

"Hey! What was that?" Aly asked. She then saw it right in front of her. It was a light brown Pokemon with about 6 tails.

"It's a Vulpix!" She quickly got out her Pokedex.

"_**Vulpix, the Fox Pokemon. As it gains power, its single white tail gains colour and split into 6. It's quite warm and cuddly."**_

Vulpix stood right in front of all the grass Pokemon and looked really angry.

"Vul!" Vulpix growled as it unleashed a flamethrower. She quickly moved to the right to avoid the attack. Aly stood back up and went from confusion to a frightened state.

"Wha-wait! I'm not here to cause trouble!"

Vulpix didn't seem to listen. It maintained its fighting stance position in front of the Grass Pokemon.

"I think I better leave," Aly said. She quickly turned around and ran away. Vulpix then stood up straight and looked back at the Grass Pokemon. They all gathered around the fox Pokemon and cheered for it.

* * *

Justin and all of the Pokemon lay under a tree in the shade. It didn't feel as hot, but didn't feel cooler either.

"Wait a minute. How come Aly hasn't come back yet? It's been like over 15 minutes." Justin exclaimed. "I think we all better got look for her."

They all nodded, packed up and started to search in the direction Aly went. Just about a few meters away, Justin and the Pokemon found Aly running their way.

"Aly!" Justin called out to her. Aly refocused on what was in front of her and found Justin. She started to run towards him. Justin however stood still, focused on Aly in her swim top.

"_Wow...she looks so cute..." _He thought to himself, staring at her in awe. Eevee looked up at him and recognized what its trainer was thinking. It jumped up and tackled Justin on the leg. Justin moved back a bit from the attack and looked down at his Pokemon. Eevee looked away with a sassy expression.

"Hey! What?!" Justin complained, but looked back up to see Aly right in front of him.

"What's wrong?" Aly asked innocently.

"Uhhh...nothing," Justin laughed awkwardly looking away and turning red. He quickly shook it off and looked back at her. "Anyways, where were you Aly? You were gone for like 15 minutes!"

"The weirdest thing happened to me. I found a tree to go behind and change into a bathing suit top. When suddenly, I found all these Grass Pokemon gathered around together in some sort of circle. I went to go check it out, when all of a sudden a Vulpix came out of nowhere and tackled me. It must have thought I was going to hurt them. Anyways, it started to attack me and so I ran away from there."

"Wow, you had an adventure and a half today I see."

"Anyways we should get going. There's a Pokemon Centre ahead, so we can get out of this heat."

"True that. Let's go."

Justin recalled Torchic and Mudkip back into their Pokeballs while Eevee jumped onto his shoulder. Squritle jumped back into the arms of Aly. They continued walking down Route 402 until they came across the Pokemon Centre. Justin walked straight towards Nurse Joy while Aly went to the restroom to change. She quickly got back into her white and green sleeveless top and joined Justin.

"Hey Nurse Joy!" Justin and Aly both said.

"Why hello there, and welcome to the Pokemon Centre." Nurse Joy said in a friendly manner. Just then, a guy ran into the Pokemon entre and stopped right in the middle of the room.

"Hey everybody! There's a whole bunch of Grass Pokemon right outside the Centre. Come check it out!" He shouted out. The few trainers in the centre got up and ran outside to see for themselves.

"Hey, didn't you see a group of Grass Pokemon before?" Justin asked Aly.

"You're right! I wonder if it's the same group. Let's go check it out," Aly said back. They ran out the doors and found a small crowd observing the grass Pokemon.

"Yep, it's them all right." Aly said. Just then, the sunlight intensified.

"How can the sun get that much stronger so quickly?!" Justin asked covering his eyes with his hands.

"It's because of that." Aly pointed forward. Justin moved his hands to see a brownish red fox Pokemon in front of all the Grass Pokemon.

"A Vulpix!" Justin said excitedly. "So cool! I got to check it out." He then started to run towards it.

"Wait Justin, come back!" Aly cried out to warn him. Just as Justin got closer to Vulpix, it spotted him and released a flamethrower in his direction. Justin ducked and just barely dodged the attack.

"What was that for?" Justin asked as he got back up.

"Do you even listen?" Aly said as she ran up to him. Vulpix then got into a battle position. Eevee and Squirtle got in front of their trainers in a battle stance as well. Just then, Nurse Joy intervened.

"Wait! Don't attack!" Nurse Joy called out as she ran towards Justin and Aly. Justin and Aly looked behind them to see her catch up to them.

"Don't fight. Please!" Nurse Joy pleaded. She then turned to Vulpix.

"Please Vulpix, these people mean no harm. The Pokemon are safe."

Vulpix then arose from its stance, understanding what Nurse Joy said. Eevee and Squirtle also stood back up front, looking all confused.

"You see, this Vulpix appeared in this area awhile ago from the direction of Ruby City. It quickly made its home here in the forest and now serves the protector of all the Grass Pokemon," Nurse Joy explained.

"Protector from what?" Aly asked.

"From a Fearow that lives in the forest as well. It's a troublemaker always causing trouble for the Grass Pokemon that live there. Whether it be stealing their food or ruining their homes. And now, all the Grass Pokemon are terrified of this Fearow. But, with the emergence of Vulpix, it's been able to hold off the Fearow for quite some time now." Nurse Joy further explained. She turned to Vulpix.

"Vulpix, I promise you, these trainers mean no harm and only want to be your friend." Vulpix walked up to Justin and Aly. Once they were deemed innocent, it bowed its head down.

"It's ok Vulpix, I understand. It's pretty cool what you're doing though! Props to you!" Justin said. He kneeled down at Vulpix's level. "By the way, my name is Justin. It's nice to meet you."

"My name is Aly. I know we met earlier in the forest when you attacked me. But, it's ok, I know what you were doing," Aly said. Vulpix then walked up to Aly and smiled.

"Vulpix!" Vulpix said, as it started to nuzzle its head against Aly's leg.

"It seems that Vulpix has taken a liking to you," Nurse Joy remarked.

"I guess so," Aly said. All the grass Pokemon then walked up to the 2 trainers in a friendlier mood. All of a sudden, a big wind gust blew by from the north. It was pretty heavy as people and Pokemon braced themselves to block the wind. Everyone looked up to see what was causing it. A giant bird flew right over the crowd and towards the woods. After it passed, so did the wind.

"Whoa, what was that all about?!" Aly remarked. After saying that, she turned her attention to Vulpix. It was growling with an angry face.

"That must be the Fearow that is causing everyone havoc here." She turned to look at the grass Pokemon and saw them cowering in fear. Just then, Vulpix charged into the woods in the direction that Fearow went.

"We should follow, it may need our help." Justin remarked.

"But, that might be dangerous…" Aly nervously said.

"C'mon Aly! Vulpix might need our help. So let's go!" Justin remarked.

"…Yeah, I guess you're right." With that, they both dashed into the woods. Eevee and Squirtle followed in as well.

Justin and Aly ran through long grass and plants before exiting out of the forest and near a cliff. In front of them they found Vulpix looking up and a circling Fearow in the air. A major battle was about to ensue.

"I hope Vulpix will be all right," Aly said worriedly.

"Fearow!" Fearow cried out as it dashed towards Vulpix.

"Vul!" Vulpix cried as it shot a flamethrower at the incoming bird Pokemon. Fearow dodged the attack by moving to the side. It gained a lot of speed until it eventually ran into Vulpix, knocking it to the side. Vulpix then shot out another flamethrower attack at Fearow. Fearow swiftly moved out of the way and began to charge at Vulpix again. Vulpix used its smokescreen attack and created a cloud of black smoke to cover it up. Fearow quickly stopped in front of the cloud and looked around for Vulpix. Vulpix then jumped out of the smoke cloud and released a flamethrower attack right at the bird Pokemon. It made contact and sent Fearow back into the air.

"Wow, that Vulpix is amazing!" Aly remarked.

Fearow cried out angrily as it began to charge up a greenish beam of energy from its mouth. Once charged, it released a Hyper Beam attack right at Vulpix. It made contact and sent it flying backwards towards the end of the cliff. Fearow then dashed downwards toward Vulpix with its beak glowing to use a Drill Peck attack.

"_I gotta help it...I gotta protect it...Please, don't act up now..." _Aly thought. She cringed for a second before running towards Vulpix.

"Aly, wait!" Justin said as he saw her running into the battle. Fearow continued its descent towards Vulpix. Its beak collided with Vulpix, which sent it into the air and towards the edge of the cliff.

"Vulpix!" Aly shouted as she ran towards the Pokemon. Just before Vulpix went over the cliff, Aly caught Vulpix in her arms and landed just before going over the edge. She then looked down at Vulpix, who was badly injured. "Are you okay Vulpix?"

"Vul," Vulpix cried weakly.

"Squirtle! Use water gun at Fearow!" Aly commanded. Squirtle ran into the battle area and shot out a stream of water at Fearow. The attack hit Fearow, but it was able to knock it away with one of its wings.

Fearow cried out angrily and shot out a hyper beam attack towards Squirtle. Squirtle dodged it by running out of the way.

"Squirtle, Rapid Spin!" Aly commanded. Squirtle slipped into its shell as it spun around very fast and charged towards Fearow. Fearow's beak lit up and it dashed down at Squirtle with a Drill Peck attack. They both collided with each other, but Squirtle was knocked towards the edge of the cliff near Aly and Vulpix.

"Oh no, Squirtle!" Aly said to Squirtle. Squirtle slowly got up, but struggled to keep its balance. It then fell backwards where Aly caught it with one of her arms.

"Fearow!" Fearow cried out as it then dashed towards Aly and the Pokemon.

"Aly, get out of the way!" Justin shouted as he ran towards them.

It was too late. Fearow was just about to ram into Aly. She quickly ducked out and barely dodged the attack. However, a wind gust carried Aly up with it and over the cliff.

"Aly, NO!" Aly quickly used one of her arms to grab the edge of the cliff and hold on. Vulpix was in her other arm. Squirtle caught onto her leg and held on.

"Squirtle, hang on tight!" Aly called out looking down at Squirtle. "Don't worry Vulpix, we'll be ok," She said to Vulpix, who was very scared with its eyes clenched tight. Aly's heart was racing so fast while she held onto the edge for her life. She suddenly began to feel weak as her grip was loosening.

"_No...please, not now..." _Aly thought as she struggled to hold onto the edge and Vulpix.

"I got to help her," Justin said. He grabbed 2 Pokeballs from his belt and threw them to release his Pokemon. Out came Torchic and Mudkip right beside Eevee.

"Eevee, Torchic, Mudkip, I need you to battle Fearow and distract it. Aly is in trouble and I have to help her. Can you all help me out?"

All the Pokemon nodded. They faced the giant bird Pokemon and charged in for attack. Torchic fired an ember attack, Mudkip released a water gun attack and Eevee shot out a shadow ball attack. The attacks hit Fearow, causing a smoke explosion on the impact. While the battle ensued, Justin ran over to the cliff to save Aly. He approached the edge and kneeled down to extend his hand towards her.

"Aly! Don't worry, I got you!" Justin shouted out to his friend.

"Justin..." Aly cried out. Justin then reached over the cliff and grabbed onto Aly's arm with both of his hands. He clenched hard and used all of his strength in attempt of pulling her up.

"I'll get you up safe and sound!" Justin said.

He pulled and pulled as hard as he could. Justin was then able to slowly move her up the cliff until her whole body rested on the top. Justin landed backwards on his back from the backward force of his pull.

"Thank you...for saving me..." Aly said weakly.

"Aw, no problem!" Justin smiled as he sat back up. "You would have done...whoa Aly!"

Aly slowly collapsed to the ground as Justin caught her in his arms. Her face was a little red while her skin felt hot.

"That really took it out of you eh?"

"Don't worry...I'll be fine...How are you, Vulpix? Squirtle?" She asked her Pokemon.

"Squirtle Squirt," Squirtle cried out.

"Vul-" Vulpix weakly cried out.

"That's good..." Aly looked up to see Fearow battling Justin's Eevee, Torchic and Mudkip. Fearow was just too much for all 3 Pokemon, as their attacks weren't doing that much to it. Fearow shot out a hyper beam that hit Torchic, causing it to fly backwards and collide hard onto a tree.

"Torchic, no!" Justin cried out. The chick Pokemon landed on the ground with swirls on its eyes.

"Mud-kip!" Mudkip cried out to Torchic. It then turned to face Fearow and released a Water Gun attack at it. Fearow got hit and was pushed back a bit in the air. It shook it off and regained its focus. Fearow descended towards Mudkip at a high speed with its beak glowing for a Drill Peck attack. Mudkip started to run and to dodge the attack. However, Fearow was just too fast and sent Mudkip flying towards the same tree Torchic hit.

"Grr...Now Mudkip is down," Justin remarked. Eevee ran towards his 2 Pokemon partners to see how they were. Torchic and Mudkip opened their eyes and nodded, assuring Eevee they'd be ok. Eevee turned around and charged towards Fearow.

"C'mon pal, I know you can do it!" Justin said. Just then, Justin and Aly caught something in their sight. All the grass Pokemon were watching the battle from behind a bush.

"Hey, there's all the grass Pokemon from before," Justin exclaimed. They both ran towards the Grass Pokemon in the bushes. The Pokemon were holding on to each other, scared of the giant Fearow.

"I have an idea...let's go to the Grass Pokemon..." Aly suggested. She tried to get up on her own, but fell back down.

"You're too tired Aly, let me help you." Justin said. He put Aly's arm around his neck and helped her stand up. She still held Vulpix in her other arm while Squirtle walked beside her. They walked around Eevee and Fearow's battle and made their way to the Grass Pokemon behind the bushes.

"Hey guys...we need your help to fight the Fearow," Aly said towards the Pokemon. "If we don't stop this Fearow, it'll keep terrorizing this forest for a long time."

The Grass Pokemon were too scared to listen.

"Take a look at Vulpix," Aly said, looking at the injured Pokemon in her arm. "It got hurt from battling Fearow alone. Alone we weren't able to beat it. But, if you all work together, it might be enough!"

The Pokemon then looked up to Aly. The all had a determined look on their faces, ready to help their injured comrade. Just then, Eevee got knocked out by Fearow's Hyper Beam and landed near the tree where Mudkip and Torchic were resting.

"Eevee no!" Justin shouted. He settled Aly down on the ground and ran to his 3 fallen Pokemon.

"You guys were great. Torchic and Mudkip return," Justin said as he raised Torchic and Mudkip's Pokeballs to return them. He then scooped Eevee into his arms to comfort the Pokemon.

"All right guys, let's help Justin out!" Aly shouted with a little more energy. The Grass Pokemon ran out of the bushes and onto the battle ground where Fearow was. They then used a variety of attacks targeted towards Fearow. The Bellsprout and Nuzleaf used their bullet seed attack, while the Oddish and Sunflora used Razor Leaf attacks. They collided with Fearow, causing a lot of damage to the Pokemon bully.

"Fearow!" Fearow cried out in pain. It then started to descend and use a Drill Peck attack towards the Grass Pokemon. However, they all used their attacks of bullet seed and razor leaf on Fearow. This caused a smoke explosion to occur upon impact of the Bird Pokemon. Fearow flew backwards in the air a bit and cringe in pain. Vulpix then jumped out of Aly's arms and landed in front of the Grass Pokemon.

"Vulpix!" Aly called out. It released a powerful flamethrower attack right at Fearow, causing a big smoke explosion when it landed. Fearow then started to cry in fear and fly away from the forest area.

"You guys all did it!" Aly cheered.

The Grass Pokemon all cheered together, dancing and celebrating their big accomplishment. Just then, Vulpix and Aly dropped to the ground, completely wiped out.

"Aly! Vulpix!" Justin called out. He ran towards his friend and lifted her into his arms. Eevee, Squirtle and all the Grass Pokemon surrounded her to watch on. Aly started to regain consciousness.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Aly smiled. "We need to go back to the Pokemon Centre and get Vulpix some help..."

* * *

Justin and the Grass Pokemon looked on in the operating room with Nurse Joy and Chansey. People in the treatment room included Vulpix, Eevee, Mudkip, Torchic and Aly.

"I sure hope everyone is going to be all right," Justin said. Just then, the operating room light above the door lit off. They walked into the room to see Nurse Joy.

"It looks like all the Pokemon here will be just fine. They need is some rest now." Nurse Joy exclaimed. "Oh, and you're friend Aly's fever has settled down too. She'll be back to normal in no time."

"That's wonderful news Nurse Joy, thank you!" Justin said happily.

All the Grass Pokemon cheered upon hearing the news. Justin walked over to his 3 Pokemon in their resting beds. Eevee, Torchic and Mudkip opened their eyes and smiled when they saw Justin.

"I'm so glad you guys are going to be ok. Eevee, Torchic, Mudkip, you were all great!" Justin said. All his Pokemon cried out happily. Torchic and Mudkip then jumped towards Justin who caught them with one in each arm. Eevee then jumped onto his shoulder. They all shared a good laugh together. He then made his way to Aly, who was lying in a bed with Vulpix in her arms.

"How are you Aly?" Justin asked.

"Much better now, thanks." Aly responded happily.

"Good, I was getting worried...that must have been a lot of work on you. The cliff incident and everything."

"Um, yeah...that's it." She then turned her attention over to Vulpix. "Vulpix, how are you?"

"Vulpix!" Vulpix said with a smile on its face. Aly then placed her hand on its face and massaged it.

"You were awesome out there Vulpix." Aly said. The Grass Pokemon then jumped onto all the empty beds to see their friend and cheered. Vulpix smiled at all of them. Justin and his Pokemon looked on as well, who couldn't help themselves but smile as well.

* * *

"Well, I guess we should be heading off now," Justin said to Nurse Joy. They were outside the Pokemon Centre with Justin and Aly with Eevee and Squirtle on one side and Nurse Joy, Vulpix and the grass Pokemon on the other.

"Thank you for all you've done. That Fearow probably won't be coming back here to cause trouble anymore." Nurse Joy explained.

"Aw, it was nothing. But, it was really Vulpix and the Grass Pokemon who deserve most of the credit." Aly remarked.

"Well, good luck on your journey and hope you guys come back to visit," Nurse Joy said.

"We will! And Vulpix..." Aly said. She then kneeled down towards Vulpix. It then looked up at her. "You stay safe. You're a great Pokemon and great things are bound to happen for you."

"Vul-, "Vulpix said sadly at the fact Aly was leaving.

"Ok, see ya Nurse Joy!" Justin said. They waved, turned around and started to walk the other way as Vulpix looked on sadly. Just then, it started to run in the direction that Justin and Aly were going. Aly heard a noise coming their way and looked behind her. Vulpix caught up to her and started to snuggle against her leg.

"Vulpix?" Aly said confusedly.

"It looks like Vulpix wants to come along with you," Nurse Joy exclaimed as she walked towards them.

"Remember Aly, you were the one that saved it from falling over the cliff, provided it care when it was injured, and brought it to the Pokemon Centre." Justin explained.

Aly looked down at Vulpix, seeing how it was so happy right next to her. Her mind was then made up.

"Vulpix, you want to come along with me?" Aly asked.

"Vulpix!" Vulpix cried out, nodding its head.

"All right! But, first I think we should have a battle. What do you say?" Aly exclaimed. Vulpix nodded and then ran a good distance away from Aly. It stopped to turn and face Aly.

"All right. Squirtle, are you ready?" Aly asked her small turtle Pokemon. Squirtle nodded and jumped onto the ground.

"_This time...I'll get it right..." _She thought to herself.

"Let's go, Squirtle use tackle attack!" Aly commanded. Squirtle then started to run and charge right at Vulpix. Vulpix shot out a smokescreen attack in order to shroud its self with black smoke. This caused Squirtle to stop in its tracks.

"Where did Vulpix go?" Aly cried out.

All of a sudden, a flamethrower appeared out of nowhere and hit Squirtle. Squirtle felt some damage, but was able to shake it off. The smokescreen was still in effect.

"I got to think of something..."Aly said to herself. Just then, an idea popped into her head.

"Squirtle, use rapid spin to clear the smoke!" Ay commanded. Squirtle popped into its shell and started to spin very fast. This blew away all the smoke, leaving a clear view of Vulpix in front of them.

"Now Squirtle, use water gun!" Aly commanded.

Squirtle released a fast stream of water from its mouth as it made contact with Vulpix. This caused Vulpix to be sent flying backwards, landing hard on the ground.

"Way to go Squirtle!" Aly said. Vulpix was able to get up though. It ran towards Squirtle at a high speed. Before Squirtle got to brace itself or dodge, Vulpix hit it, causing it to fall onto its shell. Vulpix then released another smokescreen attack to cloud Aly and Squirtle's vision.

"Squirtle, rapid spin!" Aly commanded. Squirtle then slipped back into its shell and spun rapidly to clear the smoke.

"Now, keep it going and charge at Vulpix!" It flew right in the direction of Vulpix. Vulpix then countered with a flamethrower attack.

"Use water gun while spinning!" Squirtle kept spinning in its shell, but shot out a water gun attack while at it. Water shot out of all the holes of the shell, forming a water spiral. It was able to douse the flamethrower attack and hit Vulpix. It was sent flying backwards onto the ground, where it stayed down.

"Aly, now is your chance!" Justin called out.

"Ok! Go Pokeball!" Aly shouted as she threw a Pokeball at Vulpix. It hit Vulpix and then opened up for the red light to surround it. The ball's light transported Vulpix into the Pokeball. It closed, landed on the floor and started to wiggle around. Everyone looked on, wondering if Aly would be successful. After a few shakes, the Pokeball stopped and made a "ding" noise.

"We...did it..." Aly said in disbelief. Soon, that disbelief turned into joy, as she then smiled and laughed.

"We did Squirtle!" Aly said happily.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out as it ran towards Aly for a hug. Aly hugged her blue turtle Pokemon and carried it in her arms. She then walked over to the Pokeball, picked it up and raised it into the air.

"I caught a Vulpix! I caught my first Pokemon!" Aly said happily to the sky.

"Congratulations Aly!" Justin said as he walked up to her.

"Thanks!" Aly exclaimed.

"Now make sure you take good care of it." Nurse Joy said.

"I will Nurse Joy!" Aly answered. They then heard a bunch of cries coming from behind them. It was all the Grass Pokemon, coming to say goodbye to their friend and protector. Vulpix raised one of its paws and waved at all the Pokemon.

"Bye guys! I'll be sure to take care of Vulpix!" Aly shouted back to them, waving goodbye as well. She then turned to Nurse Joy. "Well, I guess this is really goodbye now."

"Yep, take care!" Nurse Joy said smiling.

With that, they walked in the opposite direction. Eevee jumped back onto Justin's shoulder while Squirtle and Vulpix walked right beside Aly.

"You know Aly; you were pretty brave out there today." Justin remarked.

"Oh…well, I guess I was just worried about Vulpix. So…I needed to step in and help it." Aly said back.

"Hey, what you did was great. Maybe that'll give you a little more confidence in yourself."

"...Yeah, I hope so too..."

* * *

_**AN: I know, very anime-ish (Friendship rules all), but I had to lol.**_


	9. Chapter 9 - The Limestone Contest

_**A/N: Man, writing this contest was a little more difficult then I expected, especially the appeal round performance. But, had to get it done. Hopefully you can understand whats going on during them. Sort-of Filler chapter, but has some important stuff.**_

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Limestone Contest**

"All right Eevee, use shadow ball. Mudkip, use your water gun!" Justin commanded.

Eevee created a dark ball of energy and released it while Mudkip shot out a stream of water. Both attacks collided with each other, which caused a small smoke explosion. The gentle breeze easily blew the smoke away.

"Wow, you guys are doing great! Eevee, that shadow ball was powerful! And Mudkip, that looked like your best water gun yet!" Justin exclaimed excitedly to them both.

"Eevee!" Eevee cried out happily.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out, acknowledging the compliment.

"We have to be train more though if we want our second badge at the Ruby City Gym." Both Pokemon smiled and nodded.

"All right Torchic, you ready to get in there?" Justin called out for the chick Pokemon. He looked around the area, but couldn't find it.

"Uh...Torchic?" Justin then turned around to find Torchic peacefully lying on the grass, gazing up at the sky.

"Torchic! Training Time!"

"Torchic!" Torchic cried out surprised. It quickly stood up and ran towards the training ground.

* * *

Aly sat down comfortably on a hill under a tree, talking to her newly caught Vulpix while Squirtle was taking a nap beside her.

"So Vulpix, there's a Pokemon contest happening in the next town just a few miles away from here. We're going to watch it there! Isn't that exciting?" she told her Pokemon

"Vul-pix." The red fox Pokemon nodded

"Ok, well, I guess it's time to get going. Vulpix, return." Aly said as she returned Vulpix back into its Pokeball. Squirtle woke up from its nap and let out a big yawn.

"All right Squirtle, let's get going." Aly said to her blue Pokemon.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out. It then ran towards Aly, who picked it up in her arms. She got up and turned around to the open field where Justin was.

"Hey Justin! We need to get going now!" Aly shouted to Justin. He then turned his attention to Aly, who was signalling him to come along.

"Oh, I guess we've got to go now." He turned towards his Pokemon, who were in a line in front of him.

"Great training guys! We'll continue later when we get a chance. Now Torchic and Mudkip get some rest and return," Justin said as he returned those 2 Pokemon to their Pokeballs.

"All right Eevee, let's go." Eevee hopped on Justin's shoulder and the 2 were off to catch up with Aly.

"All done! Shall we?" He greeted her. Aly nodded as they continued their journey towards Limestone Village. The dirt path led them into a small forest with a sea of trees and bushes on both sides of the road. The weather was beautiful once again with a comfortable temperature in the air. The 2 trainers began to talk about Justin's upcoming battle at Ruby City when all of a sudden a sharp noise came from the right.

"Wonder what that was?" Aly wondered.

"Hmm, let's go check it out." Justin suggested. They both headed in that direction off the dirt path and into the forest. After trekking through some trees and large bushes, Justin and Aly found themselves in a small open grassy area in the forest. In the distance, there was a boy in a black jacket with red pants and brown hair. There also seemed to be a Pokemon too. It was a small, blue, serpent-like creature with a white front body, 2 white fins on its head and a silver circle on its forehead.

"Now Dratini, use Thunder wave!" the boy called out.

"ERGHH!" Dratini squealed. It created yellow waves of electricity that made a circle formation above it in the sky.

"Now, use Dragon Rage!"

Dratini created a red ball of energy from its mouth and shot it up to where the thunder wave was. The 2 attacks collided in the air and were fighting each other. Before long, they created a mini light explosion that caused yellow sparkles to fall onto the ground. Dratini's skin began to shine beautifully as well.

"Wow. Did you see that? Did you see that?" Aly said amazed.

"Of course, I'm standing right here! I have to admit, that was impressive" Justin remarked. The boy walked up to his Dratini after that performance and kneeled towards it.

"Excellent work Dratini!" He remarked. Dratini smiled and nodded. After that, he noticed Justin and Aly watching him from the bushes. This startled both Justin and Aly, whom both became slightly embarrassed about being caught.

"Uh, hi there..." Justin said uncomfortably.

"Sorry if it looked like we were spying. We heard a noise come from somewhere and went to see where it was. After we found you guys, we watched that amazing performance you put on." Aly explained.

"Oh that's all right. But Dratini deserves most of the credit for perfecting its moves," the boy said petting his Dratini on the head. He stood up back onto their level.

"Let me introduce myself, I'm Justin Riser from Eruva! And this is my partner Eevee!" Justin stated.

"Eevee!" Eevee said, raising its paw to wave hi.

"My name is Aly Eatos, and this is Squirtle," Aly said extending her hand for a handshake

"Squirtle Squirt!" Squirtle cried out.

"My name is Darren. I'm a Pokemon Coordinator. And this is my Dratini," Darren said, accepting Aly's handshake.

"A Dratini! Wow, this is so cool," Justin said as he reached for his Pokedex for information.

"_**Dratini, the dragon Pokemon. **__**This Pokémon is full of life energy. It continually sheds its skin and grows steadily larger.**_" The Pokedex read out loud.

"You're Dratini is just the most beautiful thing I've seen," Aly exclaimed looking down at Dratini.

"Well, thanks. I guess it takes someone with beauty to recognize it," Darren smiled.

"Oh...uh, thank you..."Aly blushed.

"...What?" Justin remarked quietly to Eevee on his shoulder. Darren and Aly both looked up at Justin with confused expressions.

"Uhhhh...so you're a Pokemon Coordinator eh? You participating in the Limestone Village contest?" Justin quickly asked.

"Actually I am. Dratini and I were just running through some last minute preparations. We're shooting for our second ribbon." Darren explained.

"Wow, so you've already won a ribbon already? Can I see it?" Aly asked.

"Sure."He pulled out a case from his pocket and opened it. Enclosed was a red and white coloured ribbon that sparkled beautifully. Justin and Aly leaned over to see the ribbon in the case.

"It's beautiful." Aly exclaimed.

"So, are you guys entering the contest too?" Darren asked

"I'm not. I'm trying to get into the Minero League by getting 8 badges." Justin explained.

"I see. How about you Aly?"

"Well...not exactly. I'm on ...a little break now. More like recharging before I get back into the training grind...heh heh. We were actually at the Amethyst City Gym recently, and the leader told us to check the contest out." Aly explained.

"I see. Well, maybe we can all go to Limestone Village together. It's just a few minutes down the road over there." Darren said pointing towards the road.

"That sounds great!" Aly exclaimed.

"All right, let's get going then!"

The 3 made their way back onto the dirt path and continued to walk down it. 10 minutes later, they reached the gate of Limestone Village. It was 2 long wooden poles supporting a big banner that said "Welcome to Limestone Village". It looked like a very old fashioned area with little huts built from tree tops, bark and wooden logs all over. The village was pretty busy with people and Pokemon walking all over the place. Everyone here was dressed in different clothes that consisted of robes or ponchos. Fresh produce and snack stands were stationed down the path.

"Wow, this place looks so...old!" Justin remarked.

"This town tries to keep its old heritage and traditions running. Apparently, what things looks like now, looked way back hundreds of years ago," Darren explained.

"Pretty unique. I wonder where the contest is taking place." Aly remarked.

"Right there," Darren pointing straight ahead. In the distance they saw a hut that was about 10 times the size of a house hut here.

"Are all contests held in these kinds of villages?" Justin asked.

"Nope, only this village is old school. All the other contests are held in cities and towns that are more this century. It's also said that this village also had Pokemon contests held here too in the past." Darren explained further. They walked a few more minutes before reaching the front of the contest hall.

"So when does the contest start Darren?" Aly asked.

"About half an hour from now. I just have to register at the front first. Would you like a tour inside?"

"Ok, that sounds great!" Aly replied. "Justin you want to come with?"

"Actually, Eevee and I are going to check out this village a little more!" Justin said.

"Ok, be sure to come back here in about half an hour. Meet Aly around the front inside the hut. Aly, I'll show you where you guys can sit too," Darren said.

"Got it. Thanks Darren, good luck to you in the contest." Justin said politely. With that, he and Eevee walked away.

"C'mon Aly, I have to register inside right now," Darren said.

* * *

Justin continued to walk down a path in the village. He was amazed and confused all at the same time. The Eruva region was way more advanced and modernized than here. It was something that he'd never seen before. Also, he noticed that the people and Pokemon seemed to manage just fine here too.

"I had no idea there were places still like this...pretty wicked, eh Eevee?!" Justin exclaimed to his Pokemon. His attention was then pulled towards a conversation from 2 boys sitting on a couple of wooden boxes outside a hut.

"Hey, have you challenged the Ruby City Gym yet? One boy asked.

"Not yet. I'm still training some more. My friend recently challenged her but got clobbered easy." The other boy responded.

"So wait, the gym leader is a girl?"

"That's right, and she's very good with her fire types." Justin began to walk back the way he came.

"Fire types eh? Sounds like it's going to be a tough battle," Justin said to Eevee upon hearing that conversation.

"Vy," Eevee nodded.

"Well, we'll train hard and then beat her!" Justin said giving a thumbs up.

* * *

Aly stood against the front desk in the contest hut as she patiently waited for Justin to arrive. She observed the entire room and compared to the rest of the village, it was like walking from one era to the other. Inside had all the latest machines and electronics you'd find in a city such as TV Monitors, Pokemon PC's, video call stations, etc. There was a machine at the very left of the building that had 6 hemisphere indents on it, which was probably the healing machine used at Pokemon Centres.

A couple minutes later, Justin blew right through the doors of the contest hall into the main area in the direction of Aly, who was waiting right beside the front desk. However, he was running so fast that he stumbled while trying to stop and rolled right in Aly's direction. Eevee fell off his shoulder and rolled along with him. She saw him at the last minute and moved out of the way. Justin and Eevee rolled right into the wall with their bodies planted against it.

"Uhhh...are you all right?" Aly asked concernedly.

"...Yeah...I've...nev...er...felt...better," Justin said, shaking in pain and falling onto his back.

"Ee...vee," Eevee said, doing the same thing as Justin.

"C'mon Justin, there's no time to play around. The contest is about to start and I want good seats!"

Justin quickly recovered and stood up. Eevee jumped right back onto his shoulder.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Justin exclaimed, He then grabbed Aly's hand and started to run, dragging her through the door opening.

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the Limestone Village Pokemon contest! "A lady with orange hair and wearing a white dress announced.

"My name is Jillian and I'll be your MC for the event this afternoon. I hope you all are ready for some magnificent performances from the fellow participants today. Coordinators who successfully make it through to the final round and win will be presented with the Limestone Ribbon!" She then walked over to a trio of judges sitting behind score tables

"Now let me introduce our panel of judges! On the left is Mr. Contesta, director of the Pokemon Contest Committee! Next to him is Mr. Sukizo, head of the Pokemon enthusiast club! And finally, we have our very own Limestone Village's Nurse Joy!" The raucous crowd cheered wildly. There were probably over 300 people attending this event.

"Now that that's settled, let's begin today's contest!" Jillian announced as the crowd cheered wildly. "All , trainer, let's welcome our first contestant!"

* * *

About 15 different contestants came on with performances that were great, good and ugly. Various Pokemon came out such as Rhydon, Altaria, Ampharos, Jumpluff and Butterfree. The judges made their judgement and gave out their scores to the coordinators. Aly was awe-struck by the coordinators and their Pokemon.

"This is just awesome. Harry was right; these are very enjoyable to watch!" Aly exclaimed.

Justin smiled, liking the fact that Aly seemed really happy.

"And now, our final contestant is Darren!" Jillian announced.

Darren then ran to the centre of the stage and threw out his Pokeball.

"Dratini, let's go!"

The Pokeball opened up and out came the small blue and white Dragon Pokemon. It landed gracefully in onto the stage, with the sparkles coming from the Pokeball showcasing its shiny blue skin.

"Dratini, use Twister!" Darren commanded.

Dratini then swirled its tail around in a circle at a high speed. It wasn't long until a big twister appeared on its tail. Dratini controlled the speed and size of the twister enough to make it not out of control.

"Now use thunder wave!"

Dratini then conjured up waves of electricity that joined the Twister, causing it to glow brightly.

"Now throw it into the air!" Darren commanded.

"ERGHH!" Dratini cried out as it whipped its tail up and let go of the twister. It rose up in the air and then started to fall towards the Dragon Pokemon.

"Finish it up with Dragon Rage!"

Dratini then released a blue-reddish aura from its mouth towards the glowing twister. The attacks collided which caused a mini light explosion in the air. The thunder waves and dragon rage aura combined together and landed right behind Dratini. A terrifying light emitted from the attack, making Dratini look like a fearsome Dragon terrorizing the land.

"Incredible! With those combinations of moves, Darren has successfully made Dratini look like a fearsome Dragon. What a way to show off appearance and power!" Jillian said. The crowd went berserk with a standing ovation to follow

"Now that's showing off your Pokemon," Justin said.

"Yeah, you're right. That Darren is something else," Aly remarked.

"Let's see what our judges thought of that performance." Jillian said as she pointed towards the trio. The scores came from their score boxes in the order: 9.5, 9.6 and 9.4 for a total of 28.5 points

"Wow, a score of 28.5. That's the highest score today! And a well deserved score might I add," Jillian announced as the crowd cheered loudly as always.

"And ladies and gentlemen, that concludes our appeal round for this contest. Now, we ask that you please stand by as our judge's review the performances and determine who will move on."

* * *

The final 8 was decided and the battling rounds began immediately after the judge's ruling. The battles were pretty entertaining with action, grace and finesse. The 2 remaining finalists were Darren and a boy named Andrew. Justin enjoyed them a lot since it helped him with some new strategies for his upcoming battles. However, throughout the entire contest battle rounds, Aly's expression got progressively sadder. Justin didn't understand since she was pretty exciting before the event. He knew he had to try something to make her lively again.

"Well, we finally made it to the finals. Everyone sure worked hard to get here. It's just like us trainers preparing for gym battles. It must take a lot of hard work and strenuous activity to perfect their performances and battles!" Justin exclaimed excitedly, trying to start a conversation.

"Yeah..." Aly muttered quietly.

"Um, Aly? What's wrong?"

"Oh...it's nothing. Guess I'm just on edge on what's going to happen this final round..."

"...Ok then..." Justin sighed as he refocused back on the stage. Aly looked down at her hands and began to think to herself.

"_Wow...I never realized what it takes to become a coordinator. Just like a Pokemon Trainer training for gym battles. A lot of physical and mental training with your Pokemon is required. I actually had the thought of becoming a coordinator. But...in my condition...I don't think I..."_ She came back to her senses as Justin placed his hand on hers. She quickly looked back at him.

"Aly, just relax and enjoy the battle ok? Darren's in it so we gotta cheer him on." Justin said smiling widely.

Aly smiled back and nodded. _"Justin's right. Relax and enjoy...there's always something else..."_

"And now, let's go to the final battle between Andrew and Darren." Jillian announced. The giant TV monitor displayed both trainers' faces along with a meter bar representing their points. "And now, the timer has started so let the match begin!"

"Butterfree use tailwind!" Andrew commanded. Butterfree began to flap its wings lightning fast to conjure a blowing gust of winds towards Dratini. The strong wind hit Dratini, which caused it to try to hold its ground by ducking its head and keeping its body low on the floor. The wind affected Darren too, who braced himself by covering his face with his arms.

"Now use quick attack!" Andrew called out. Butterfree then charged right at Dratini.

"Dratini, dodge it!"

Dratini tried to slide out of the way. The tailwind however caused Butterfree's speed to double, so Dratini was hit hard before it had a chance to dodge. Darren's point meter went down.

"Another quick attack Butterfree!" Andrew commanded. Butterfree made a 180 spin after attacking and went straight after Dratini. The blue dragon Pokemon was hit hard again that it got knocked over on its side. Darren's point meter reduced even further after the attack.

"They're just too quick thanks to that tailwind." Darren said to himself. Just then, he felt the tailwind slowly dissipate.

"All right, it's done! Now Dratini, use Dragon Rage!" Darren commanded.

"ERGHHH!" Dratini cried out as it released a blue-greenish aura from its mouth at Butterfree.

"Butterfree counter it with Silver Wind!" Andrew responded.

"Freee!" Butterfree cried out as it flapped its wings to create a wind with a silver sparkle aimed at Dratini. The attacks collided with each other, causing a min smoke explosion to occur. Both coordinators points meter dropped even further.

"Dratini, float up!" Dratini commanded.

"Butterfree, clear the smoke!" Andrew commanded. Butterfree flapped its wings to blow the smoke away. When the sight was clear, Andrew noticed Dratini wasn't there.

"What? Where did Dratini go?"

"Now, use thunder wave!" Darren called out. Andrew looked around to see where the Dratini and the attack coming were. He then looked up to see Dratini diving right down towards Butterfree. Dratini then conjured waves of electricity and aimed them right at the butterfly Pokemon. The attack hit and Butterfree struggled to stay up in the air with yellow thunder waves surrounding it.

"Butterfree is paralyzed Dratini! Use Dragon Rage!" Darren commanded. Dratini released its attack towards Butterfree. It was a direct hit, causing Butterfree to fly backwards and fall onto the ground. Andrew's score went down by a good margin.

"Butterfree, get up!" Andrew called out. Butterfree slowly got up, still struggling to stay afloat.

"Let's go Dratini, use Dragon Rage again!" Darren commanded. Dratini started to create its rage flame from its mouth.

"Butterfree, use sleep powder!" Andrew quickly commanded. The thunder waves suddenly disappeared for a moment. Butterfree was free of the paralysis and flapped a blue sparkling mist towards Dratini. The attack reached Dratini before it used Dragon Rage and made the blue dragon Pokemon sleepy. Before everyone knew it, Dratini fell asleep on the spot.

"Dratini! Get up!" Darren called out to his sleeping Pokemon. Dratini however just kept snoozing away.

"Finish this with silver wind!" Andrew commanded.

"Freee!" Butterfree cried out as flapped its wings and attacked Dratini with its silver wind attack. Dratini grimaced from the pain it felt from the attack as it flew backwards onto its back. It was clearly awake now, but in a lot of pain. It tried to get back up, but fell back and lay on the ground.

"Dratini, no!" Darren called out. 3 big X's then appeared each of the judges score box, signalling Dratini was unable to battle.

"And that's that! Dratini is unable to battle, meaning that Butterfree is the winner. And the winner of the Limestone Village contest is Andrew!" Jillian announced as the crowd began to cheer very loudly. Andrew waved his arm in the air, acknowledging the crowd's applause. He raised his arm for Butterfree to land and sit on it. Darren then kneeled towards Dratini to check on his Pokemon.

"Dratini, are you all right?" Darren asked.

"erghhh..." Dratini cried out weakly.

"You were great Dratini!"

Dratini smiled and nodded. Darren then returned Dratini into its Pokeball, got up from the floor and walked towards Andrew.

"Hey man, great battle and congratulations." Darren said sincerely.

"Hey thanks! You and Dratini were pretty good too. I hope we meet again in another contest!" Andrew replied as the 2 then shook hands.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, now Mr. Contesta will present our winning coordinator with the Limestone Ribbon. Congratulations for all those who participated and thank you all for coming out today! We hope to see you all next time!" Jillian announced.

Mr Contesta presented the ribbon to Andrew, who gratefully accepted it. Confetti then fell from the ceiling and the crowd cheered loudly for all the competitors.

* * *

"Well, I'm off the Amethyst City. There's a place where Pokemon can get massages and other special treatments." Darren said. He stood in front of Justin, Aly, Eevee and Squirtle outside the contest hall under the dark night sky.

"That's cool! We're going to stay over at the Pokemon Centre here for the night," Justin said.

"Why aren't you staying in for the night too?" Aly asked.

"Nah, I'm going to keep travelling. It's a gorgeous night right now, so I could sleep outside if I need too." Darren explained.

"I see. By the way, I'm sorry for your loss Darren."

"Ahhh it's all right. We're going to train harder to win the next contest!"

"That's the spirit!" Justin exclaimed.

"Justin, I know you'll do great against the gym leader there. Good luck." Darren said

"Thanks bud!" Justin replied, extending his hand towards him.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out, saying goodbye as well. Darren took it and both guys shook. He then turned towards Aly.

"And Aly, I hope you find what you're goal soon." Darren said, adding a wink at the end.

"Oh...yeah me too. Thanks and good luck with your contests." Aly said while blushing a bit. Justin and Squirtle looked at her in confusion.

"Well, I'm off. See you guys!" Darren said as he started to walk away.

"Yeah, bye!" Justin and Aly both said. With that, the 2 started to walk towards the Pokemon Centre.

"Wasn't that a great contest?" Aly asked.

"It was very entertaining! Picked up some new things for my upcoming battles too!" Justin replied. "Oh yeah, what was that all about? Was the wink at the end necessary? Talk about over-doing it..."

"What? Are you jealous?" Aly said slyly while giggling. Justin jolted a bit from that remark and started to blush a little himself.

"HA! Jealous over you? Yeah ok..."

"C'mon...you totally were." She continued to playfully tease him.

"Umm, no, that was..." The 2 continued to argue as they both walked down the path under the starry night sky.

* * *

Caius walked down a hallway in the secret Team Immortal base. He then came across another fellow grunt walking in his direction.

"Hey, you!" Caius called out. The grunt stopped and looked at him

"Can you tell me where Master Hades is?" Caius asked.

"Yeah, he's getting ready for the mission at Ruby City. If you hurry, you can catch him on the boarding area." The grunt responded.

"Thanks man." Caius ran ahead to the boarding area. After 5 minutes of navigating through the base, he walked up the stairs and found someone wearing brown robes, a black hooded cape and a red mask board a helicopter.

"Wait! Master Hades!" Caius called out as he started running towards the shady figure.

"Yes, report." Hades said.

"There's something you should know about. You might run into a kid and his friend in Ruby City. He's really strong too. He gave us a headache at Amethyst Lake."

"Oh please, it's just a kid. Maybe you guys aren't strong yourselves. Don't worry; he shouldn't be a nuisance to me."

"But wait, you should know his na-..."

"I have to go now. Go back to the base and wait for further instructions!" Hades demanded.

"...fine." Caius said. Hades then closed the door and the helicopter took off.

* * *

_**A/N: Review if you have some feedback. Next chapter will be in Ruby City.**_


	10. Chapter 10 - Fight for the Ruby Jewel P1

**Chapter 10a: Fight for the Ruby Jewel Part 1**

There was a fierce battle taking place on a grassy field just off the dirt road of Route 402. Aly and Justin had teamed up to face off against another pair of trainers travelling around the area. Squirtle and Torchic were the choices of the protagonists while the opponents had a Sandshrew and Kricketot on their end. Eevee, Mudkip and Vulpix were on the sidelines cheering their fellow Pokémon teammates on.

"Torchic, use your ember attack on Kricketot!" Justin commanded.

"Tor-chic!"Torchic chirped as it released balls of fire right at the big type Pokemon. Kricketot got hit by the attack and was sent backwards right in front of its trainer, unable to battle anymore.

"Sandshrew! Use rollout!" the male opponent trainer called. Sandshrew curled up in a ball and rolled right into Squirtle, knocking the blue turtle Pokemon onto its back.

"Oh no Squirtle!" Aly cried out.

"Torchic, ember attack!" Justin commanded. Torchic focused its attention to Sandshrew and released an ember attack at Sandshrew, which made it cringe in pain. Torchic ran towards Squirtle and flipped it back onto its feet.

"Finish it now Aly!"

"Right! Squirtle, use water gun!" Aly commanded. Squirtle opened its mouth and shot a stream of water at Sandshrew. Sandshrew was hit hard with the attack, which caused it to faint.

"Oh no Sandshrew!" the male trainer called out.

"Kricketot!" The female trainer added. The 2 ran over towards their fallen Pokemon.

"Well, looks like this battle is over," Justin suggested as he, Aly, Torchic and Squirtle began to walk over to the opponents.

"You guys are really strong! That was a great battle! I hope we all get to do it again sometime!" The female trainer exclaimed. They both stood up and extended their hands towards Justin and Aly. Handshakes were exchanged between trainers and Pokemon. The 2 trainers recalled their Pokemon into their Pokeballs and said their goodbyes before heading off.

"That was a great battle Torchic! Your ember is really strong now," Justin complimented his Pokemon.

"Torchic-Tor!" Torchic cried out happily as it strung a big smile.

"Same with you Squirtle! Good job out there!" Aly said to her Pokemon.

"Squirtle-Squirt!" Squirtle said as it put its hands on its hips, trying to show off.

"Anyways, we should get going. Ruby City is just down this road." Justin remarked.

"Ok, sounds good!" Aly said. They both recalled their Pokemon into their Pokeballs with the exception of Eevee and Squirtle. Eevee jumped back onto Justin's shoulder while Squirtle was picked up into Aly's arms. Once finished, the 2 started to walk down Route 402.

* * *

"Hey Justin...um, thanks for helping me out in that battle earlier." Aly remarked suddenly as they continued to walk down the path.

"No problem Aly! That's what team members do!" Justin replied exuberantly.

"I know...but it seemed like I only held you back. You did most of the work. If only..."

"Aly, don't worry about it. You're still getting back into the groove. This is good experience for you. Before you know it, when we get to more intense battles, we'll both be helping each other out!"

"Yeah...more intense battles...right. Um Justin, I-"

"We're finally here!" Justin shouted out. They stood right in front of the city's entrance. There was a big billboard sign to the left that read "Welcome to Ruby City!"

"Wow, feels like forever! Now time to find that gym!" Justin exclaimed. Eevee let out a cry of joy as well. Justin petted Eevee on the head and began to march into the city. Aly still stood at the city's entrance.

"...wow, just like that he forgets about me..." Aly murmured. She let out a big sigh and ran down the road to catch up with Justin.

The city was a lot like Amethyst City with extremely tall buildings all over that ranged from company headquarters, shopping stores and living condos/apartments. The one major difference though was the colour. Everything had a red colour scheme to them. Eevee and Squirtle decided to walk on the ground together, looking at other Pokemon merchandise shown by stores. Oddly though, it wasn't as lively as the other places they visited. After 10 minutes of walking and searching through streets and suburbs, they finally came across the Ruby City gym. It was a round dome shaped building that had a dark red rooftop and beige sidewalls. Justin approached the front door only to find a sign tagged onto it.

"_**The Ruby City gym is closed for today. Will re-open again tomorrow. Sorry for the inconvenience! – Maggie, Ruby City Gym Leader.**_"

"WHAT! NO WAY!" Justin shouted out in response to what he read. He then dropped to floor and sulked like a big baby.

"Umm, calm down. The gym will open up again tomorrow. Hey, I have an idea! Let's go get our PokeTabs now. Nurse Joy from Amethyst Lake said the company that sells them are located in this city!" Aly exclaimed.

"...All right fine, let's do it." Justin said as he regained his composure. The 2 trainers then walked in the opposite direction and back into the city. After walking down a couple more blocks and passing various shops; Justin and Aly arrived in front of a red building that must have been 40 stories high. There was a golden plated logo on the top of the door that read "PokeTab Corporation".

"I think this is the PokeTab Corporation," Aly remarked.

"Great deduction Sherlock, what gave it away? The fact that the company name is written just above the door?" Justin remarked smirking. Eevee and Squirtle began to laugh with him.

"Shut up." Aly shot back, hitting Justin on the head and then crossing her arms.

"Easy there! It was a joke! Geez!" Justin massaged the back of his head.

"Whatever...let's go inside."

Justin and Aly walked through the front doors and entered the building. It was a very high class setting with marble floor, glass front windows, expensive furniture and a few elevators located on both sides of the lobby. No one was present in the room except for the female receptionist in glasses wearing a black blazer at the front desk. Eevee jumped back onto Justin's shoulder while Squirtle went back into Aly's arms as the 2 trainers walked up to the front reception desk.

"Um excuse me. We're travelling Pokemon trainers and were wondering if we can get some PokeTabs." Justin said to the receptionist.

"Oh...why yes, certainly. Please wait over by those couches." She replied, extending her hand towards the nearby couches.

"Oh...ok. Thanks Ma'am!"

"By the way, were there 2 people outside the door?" The receptionist asked.

"Umm...no? Why?" Aly asked confused.

"I see...no reason. Please, have a seat."

Justin and Aly walked over to the benches and sat down. Eevee and Squirtle both sat on their respective trainer's laps. The receptionist picked up the phone on her desk and dialed some numbers. Aly was talking to Squirtle when she quickly glanced over at the receptionist and moved her attention towards her. She seemed to be a little upset with whoever she was talking to. After 10 minutes of waiting, the elevator bell rang and opened its doors. Out came two men wearing black suits and shades. They walked right up to Justin and Aly.

"You kids will now come with us," one of the men stated.

"We will escort you to our PokeTab manufacturer." The other one added.

"Oh, sounds good. Thanks!" Justin exclaimed. Aly and him got up and followed them to the elevator they came from. As they walked, Aly tugged on Justin's jacket sleeve.

"Justin, I have a bad feeling about this." Aly said softly to Justin.

"Why's that?" He replied back to her.

"I don't know...it just doesn't feel right."

"Aly, you always worry too much. I really don't think there's any suspicious activity going on. Look, we're going to get our PokeTabs now, relax ok?"

"...Maybe you're right..." Justin then raised his hand and patted Aly on the head and smiled. She smiled right back and was able to breathe easy. The elevator doors opened and the group walked into it. One of the men behind Aly pressed a button that would take them to the lower level. The doors closed and the elevator started to descend. Aly looked at Justin with an unsure expression, but quickly shook it off. The elevator bell rang again, signalling they had reached their destination. Justin and Aly stepped out of the elevator and took a look around. It was pretty dark with only a few ceiling lights lit. The room was surrounded by long metal rods, wooden planks and gas fuel barrels around the room.

"Is this the basement?" Justin asked aloud.

"Where's the manufacturer? This isn't what we came here for..." Aly said. Just then, she and Justin both felt something hard and cold wrap around their body. It was a metal bind contraption that clenched around them so hard that they couldn't move their arms.

"Hey, what's the deal?!" Justin shouted. Eevee jumped off of Justin's shoulder and hissed at the 2 men. Squirtle was dropped onto the floor after Aly's arms were trapped and gave them an enraged look. They both began to charge at the 2 shady men. One of them pulled out a remote from his pocket and pressed a button. Cages dropped from the ceiling and enclosed the Pokemon, trapping them like their trainers.

"Eevee!" Justin called out.

"Squirtle!" Aly called out as well.

"You kids are coming with us." One of the men said. They both grabbed a hold of Justin, Aly and their Pokemon and walked them towards the middle of the dark room. There was a metal cage that was as high as the room and about 30 feet wide. There were people trapped behind the cage as well, all adults wearing suits that looked shaken up. The 2 men opened the cage door and shoved Justin and Aly onto the ground. Eevee and Squirtle landed hard on the ground, which hurt the Pokemon in the process.

"What's going on here?!" Justin demanded.

"We can't let you kids get in our way..." one of the men replied.

"You're just going to have to wait here with these people while Team Immortal completes our mission!" The other one added. With that, the 2 men went back into the elevator and disappeared.

"We got to stop them!" Justin shouted out, squirming around trying to break free from the metal trap.

"It's no use. We're trapped here. I knew there was something fishy here..." Aly remarked as she started to tear up.

"Here..." a voice came from behind them. Justin looked behind him to see a man working with the trap that held him. He heard a click noise before realizing the trap opened up and he was free. The man then went to Aly and unlocked her.

"Wow, you freed us. Thank you so much!" Justin said gratefully.

"You're welcome." The man replied sincerely. He then walked over to the cages containing Eevee and Squirtle and used the same key free them. The small cages doors opened and the Pokemon stepped out. Eevee jumped towards Justin as he embraced the brown Pokemon in his arms.

"Eevee! I'm glad you're ok." Justin said. "Squirtle! I'm glad you're ok too." Aly said to her blue turtle Pokemon as it jumped into Aly's arms, hugging her. She wiped some of the tears from her eyes after

"Thanks for saving our Pokemon too. By the way, my name is Aly Eatos. And this is Squirtle." Squirtle waved and smiled.

"My name is Justin Riser! And this is Eevee." Justin added.

"Vy!" Eevee cried out.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Seth; I'm an employee here at PokeTab Corporation." Seth explained.

"Seth, what the heck is going on here?" Aly asked.

"Well, it all started yesterday when strange things started happening to this company. It was our annual company stay-over event where workers here stay overnight and have fun in the office. But, strange things started to happen as workers mysteriously went missing in the building. We started with about a full staff, then went down to half, then a quarter, and then a few. Before we knew it, we were all brought to this cell down here. We've all been stuck down here for about a day with no way of getting out."

"That's awful! Sounds like a horror movie..."

"It sure seems like it. We can confirm though that Team Immortal is behind this."

"Not those crooks again! Geez, we got to get out of here and stop whatever they're planning!" Justin exclaimed. "How about that key you unlocked us with? Can't that unlock this cage?"

"Unfortunately, this key only opens the traps they place on us, not the cell door," Seth replied. "If only we can get word to people outside to help us."

"Ee-vee!" Eevee cried out from Justin's arms.

"What's up bud?" Justin asked his partner. Eevee jumped from Justin's arms onto the floor and started digging. It dug a small hole and popped back up to the surface smiling.

"Hey, since when did Eevee learn dig?" Aly asked.

"I don't know...but that's amazing Eevee!" Justin exclaimed.

"Hey, why don't you ask Eevee to dig out onto the streets and look for Officer Jenny to help us?" Seth suggested.

"That's a good idea!" Aly remarked.

"Here, I'll write a note so that way Jenny knows exactly what's going on." Seth got out a pen and notepad from his inside jacket pocket and wrote down a letter. He ripped the paper from the pad, folded it and kneeled towards Eevee.

"Eevee, take this paper, dig out onto the streets and find Officer Jenny, ok?" Seth asked.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee nodded, as it took the paper from Seth with its mouth.

"The station is just down the street to the left from here. Good luck Eevee, we're all counting on you."

"I know you can do it pal," Justin said giving his Pokemon a thumbs up. Eevee nodded and then dug into the ground.

"I hope Eevee comes back soon." Aly said worriedly.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Eevee won't let us down." Justin reassured her. Just then, Squirtle jumped down from Aly's arms and went towards the hole. It looked back at Aly.

"Squirtle? You want to go along with Eevee?" Aly asked.

"Squirtle!" It nodded

"All right, go for it!" With that, Squirtle dove into the hole and followed Eevee.

* * *

Further below the PokeNav Corporation basement, there were a series of underground tunnels that led to a secret cave chamber. A group of people wearing brown robes and black capes were excavating the area. Many workers were performing several different functions such as setting up lights stands, controlling digging vehicles or working giant computer machines. The one who seemed to be calling the shots in this expedition was in red robes, a black hooded cape and a red evil looking mask. A scientist in a white lab coat was beside the hooded figure working on his own laptop.

"Master Hades, we're really close to uncovering the Ruby Jewel underneath the ground." The scientist explained.

"Very good Dr. Perron. Keep it going." Hades said back.

"Yes sir." The scientist walked to the workers near the computer panels to give them directions.

"Soon, Team Immortal will have exactly what we need, just a little while longer..." Hades said quietly to himself. "It's a good thing I planned this heist very deceptively by interfering with this company's annual event."

A giant drilling machine was digging away at the ground until the driver felt a bump back, where the drill wouldn't go down any further. The driver backed up from the hole it made and turned off the vehicle.

"Master Hades! I think we found something!"

This grabbed Hades' attention as he looked on and made his way over the site of the discovery. A bunch of grunts followed him. They all looked at the hole and found a sealed metal door.

"This must be where the Ruby Jewel is!" the scientist exclaimed.

"Men, open the sealed door!" Hades commanded.

"YES SIR!" all the grunts there called out. They then released their Pokemon from their Pokeballs. Zubats, Mightyenas, and Drapions came out of the Pokeballs onto the ground. They were then commanded to break the metal door. Moves like Shadow Ball, Cross Poison and Gust were performed right at the ground where the door. After multiple attacks were launched, a big smoke explosion was created. Everyone covered their faces with their arms as the smoke spread throughout the cave. Once the smoke cleared, Hades and his men looked back at the hole in the ground. The metal doors were destroyed thanks to the attacks. A red light emitted from the opening in the ground that shined very brightly.

"You there! Come down with me!' Hades said, pointing at the grunt closest to the opening.

"Sir!" The grunt saluted. They went through the opening of the destroyed door to figure out what they discovered.

* * *

In the streets of Ruby City, a small rumbling came from the ground. Out came Eevee, whose head popped out to look around where it was. Eevee was right outside the PokeTab Corporation doors and faced the direction where Seth told it to go. Eevee jumped out of the hole and started running down the street. Just then, Squirtle popped out from the hole and put its hands on its hips, showing off its accomplishment. Squirtle dropped the act quickly to look where Eevee was. After looking left and right, it found Eevee running down the street in front of the PokeTab Corporation.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out as it ran to catch up to Eevee. Eevee looked back to see its friend had come to join the mission. Both Pokemon followed Seth's instructions and eventually found the police station. Eevee and Squirtle ran through the main doors and towards the front desk where Officer Jenny was sitting. They jumped on top of the desk which caused Jenny to jolt.

"Whoa...Can I help you both with anything?" Jenny asked a little confused.

"Squirtle! Squirt, Squirtle!" Squirtle dabbled as it flailed its arms around like a spaz.

"Uhh..." Jenny said, even more confused than before.

Eevee shook its head in disappointment. It raised its right front paw and smacked Squirtle in the back of its head. Squirtle froze up with its eyes wide open, just realizing what it was doing.

"Ee-Eevee!" Eevee mumbled with the note in its mouth. It lowered its head and opened its mouth to give the note to Jenny. She picked it up, opened it and began to read the writing.

"_**Officer Jenny. My name is Seth Granger, and I work for the PokeTab Corporation down the street. During our annual company stay-over event today, a shady group of people called Team Immortal took over the building and locked all us employees in a giant caged cell. Please help us out!"**_

"Team Immortal? Don't tell me...This isn't good at all! Ok, I'm on my way!" Jenny exclaimed. She then got up from her chair and ran right out the door. Eevee and Squirtle followed behind her. When they ran outside, in front of them was Jenny in her motorcycle. It had a small passenger buggy on its side.

"Let's go guys! Hop in!" She called out.

Eevee and Squirtle jumped into the passenger buggy and landed on the seat. Jenny stepped on the pedal and the motorcycle zoomed ahead down the street. Within a few minutes, they reached the front of the PokeTab Corporation. Jenny, Eevee and Squirtle jumped off the bike and barged through door. They found the girl receptionist packing up her desk. She caught Officer Jenny in her eye and froze up, realizing the police were onto them. She then started to run away.

"Oh, no you don't!" Jenny shouted as she chased her in the lobby. The receptionist headed straight for the elevator to get away.

"Ee-vee!' Eevee cried out as it released a shadow ball attack aimed right in front of the elevator. A smoke explosion occurred and the receptionist froze in her tracks. This gave Jenny the opportunity to grab a hold of her and pin her against the wall. She handcuffed the troublemaker and pushed her hard against the wall.

"Thanks! Way to think on your feet." Jenny said to Eevee.

"Ee-vee," Eevee said happily with a smile on its face.

"All right! Now tell me where are the workers being held? And what is Team immortal planning?"

"They're being held in the basement level. We, Team Immortal, are implementing the first act of our grand mission! By now, I'm sure Master Hades has already unearthed the jewel and completed the first step!" The grunt explained and laughed maniacally. Just then, 2 other police officers came through the front doors.

"Jenny! You rushed out of the station without giving an explanation. Is everything ok? Do you need help?" One asked.

"Steve! Damon! I'm glad you guys are here, and yes I do! Steve, Team immortal might be in possession of this city's ancient jewel. I need you to get back up. Call squads 1, 2 and 3. Tell them its code red 117. Damon, watch this crook over her and make sure she stays still. I'm going to find the other workers that they imprisoned here." Jenny explained.

"Yes Ma'am!" Both Steve and Damon saluted, where they then performed their assigned duties.

"Squirtle, Squirt!" Squirtle cried out to grab Jenny and Eevee's attention. They both looked over to see the blue turtle Pokemon in the elevator already, signalling them to come over. Jenny and Eevee then ran over into the elevator where Squirtle pressed the B button. The doors closed behind and the elevator began to descend.

"I'm coming guys..." Jenny said to herself." I'll get you all out."

* * *

_**A/N: More of what is going on here will be explained in Part 2. As always, leave feedback if you have something to say.**_


	11. Chapter 11 - Fight for the Ruby Jewel P2

_**A/N: Sorry for the longer delay. With school happening again it's been very a very busy time for me. But, I was always to dedicate time for here and finish this latest chapter. I hope it's to your guys' liking.**_

**Chapter 11: Fight for the Ruby Jewel Part 2**

"Man, this isn't what I expected for my visit to the PokeTab Corporation." Justin commented. He and Aly were sitting beside each other right against the cell barricade, right across from their new acquaintance Seth.

"Um Seth, why do you think Team Immortal is doing all this?" Aly asked.

"I'm not 100% sure, but it may have something to do with the legendary jewel of the city." Seth remarked as he loosened his tie.

"Legendary Jewel?" Justin asked.

"That's right. I assume you kids are new to this region and don't know about the rich history."

"That would be a big nope!"

"Well, allow me to story tell. Thousands of years ago, there was something called the Energy Creation Mechanism, or E-C-Mech for short. This ancient contraption had the ability to generate an endless amount of pure energy. No one knows how this was possible. According to the history books, humans learned how to harness this energy and use it to gain physical strength, greater intellect and will power. This made Minero one of the most advanced civilizations in the Pokemon World back then. Trade, work efficiency and productivity were at an all time high and the people were living in a golden age. Everyone was happy and content with life thanks to this mechanism." Seth explained.

"Are you serious? That's so cool!" Aly remarked.

"However, with progress and prosperity comes greed and potentially violence. Several groups of thieves attempted to use the mechanism for their own selfish goals. Soon after, everyone wanted this energy, which caused a civil war to transpire amongst the population. The Minero Region's once serene utopia became a ferocious battleground. In order to stop this, 3 individuals known as The E-C-Mech Guardians, destroyed the area where the E-C-Mech was located and sealed it permanently. The war eventually ended and people realized that the E-C-Mech had created an unsafe world to live in. They then started to focus their efforts on rebuilding and working together through their own strength and willpower. The contraption was powered by 3 mystical jewels, which were taken by each guardian and hidden in 3 secret areas. Rumor has it that one of them is located somewhere in this city."

"For real?! Damn, sounds awesome!" Justin gasped.

"...Well, I guess. But, that's just a rumor passed down in this city. No one knows if it's true. The police banned any kind of excursion to locate the jewel in order to prevent what happened in the past."

"I don't know about you guys, but I think Team Immortal knows where it is. I also have a hunch where it is too...right below this building!" Aly exclaimed.

"WHAT? Why do you say that?" Justin asked.

"Yes, please explain..." Seth added.

"First, they target the PokeTab Corporation and its employees. Now, there must be a reason why they're here." Aly explained. She then turned to Seth. "Have they stolen any money or expensive products since they've been here?"

"Hmm, no they haven't actually. The safe at the other end of this floor contains a good portion of our valuables, and it hasn't even been touched yet!"

"Right! They just locked every employee in this cell to keep out of their way."

"I still don't get it. This is the lowest floor in the building right?" Justin remarked.

"Well, just take a look at the elevator from here. You can visibly see the cable cart travel up and down. Ever since they walked in there, the elevator hasn't gone back up. I highly doubt they're still on this floor, sitting in that cart. So, it must mean they went further down. I'm pretty sure Team Immortal dug another level below this building."

"Wow, and you figured this out all by yourself too. Way to go young lady!" Seth commented

"Oh...well, it's just a hunch really. I don't really know if it's true or not..."

"You gotta give yourself more credit Aly! Damn, your thought process, detective skills was sick! You're not a secret detective or something right?" Justin asked dumbfounded.

"Oh, no, no...heh. Well, I watched a lot of detective shows when I was at home before my journey...but that doesn't contribute to anything..." Aly replied timidly.

Just then, they heard a small screeching noise coming from the elevator. As they looked on, Justin, Aly and Seth saw the cable car rise up towards the main level. It paused for a second, and then started to slowly drop until it reached the basement. The elevator rang and its doors started to open up. Inside was a woman in a blue uniform, hat and black heels along with 2 small Pokemon.

"Eevee!" Justin called out.

"Squirtle!" Aly called out to her Pokemon.

Eevee and Squirtle looked up as they heard their respective trainers call out their name. The gleamed of happiness and ran towards Justin and Aly. They both knelt down to their Pokémon's level.

"Great job Eevee, I knew I can count on you!" Justin exclaimed. He extended his arm through the cell to massage Eevee's head. Eevee nuzzled against his hand and smiled.

"You too Squirtle! You're the best!" Aly said, patting Squirtle on the head. Squirtle put its hand on its hips and nodded. Officer Jenny ran up to the cell to where the Pokemon were.

"You're Pokemon informed me of the news. They're really brave. Are you guys ok?"

"Yeah, we're fine." Justin said to her.

"Officer Jenny!" Seth called out as he ran towards her.

"Hello, are you Seth?" Officer Jenny asked.

"Yes, I am. I'm the one who wrote the note. A group of criminals named Team Immortal locked all of us in here. Also...they may have found the legendary jewel of the city right beneath us!"

"Hmm, we can't be for sure that it's the legendary jewel. But, knowing how cunning and smart they are, it might just be. If we don't act fast, they might be in possession of it! All right, where's the door?"

Seth pointed to his right. "You'll need the key first."

Jenny ran in the pointed direction and reached the cell door. She pulled the metal key from the receptionist upstairs out of her side pocket and inserted it into the key hole. She twisted the key and unlocked the door.

"All right everyone, you're all free!"

All the other employees started to walk out of the cell. They thanked Officer Jenny, Seth, Justin, Aly and their respective Pokemon. Once Justin and Aly got out of the cell, Eevee and Squirtle ran towards their respective trainers and jumped into the arms. They both hugged their Pokemon, showing them gratitude and affection.

"Thanks for unlocking us Jenny." Aly said as she walked out of the cell.

"Don't worry about it!" Jenny replied.

"Anyways, we need to figure out how to get below here and stop Team Immortal!" Justin called out. Eevee jumped onto Justin's shoulder where it likes to hang.

"You're right. Let's head to the elevator." Seth suggested. The 4 of them started to run towards the elevator where they saw the doors open. About 20 more police officers had arrived to help.

"Jenny! We've been sent here to give you a hand! More are on the way as well." One of the officers stated as he saluted Jenny.

"Thank you! Benny and Oliver, your squad comes with me. Steve and Damon, your squad should help these workers get out of here. Give them any aid they need."

"Yes ma'am!" They all said, saluting her. They split into 2 groups and performed their assigned duties.

"Justin, I'm going to help the officers here with taking care of the employees." Aly remarked to Justin. "They all look like they're in pretty bad shape and...I want to help them." Justin looked at her with uncertainty at first, but then nodded.

"Help them out Aly! Do your best!" Justin exclaimed, raising his hand in the air. Aly smiled and returned the high five back. She then ran off towards a group of PokeTab employees to treat them.

"All right, let's check out this elevator." Jenny said. The group ran to the elevator and opened its doors.

"All right, there must be something to make it go lower." Seth said.

In the small elevator everyone chose a side to examine if there was a hidden button or switch that allowed it to travel a lower level. Eevee jumped onto the floor and looked on the ground when suddenly it found a small bump near the back left corner. It pressed it down with one of its paws and caused the elevator doors to close. Everyone was startled by the doors closing as they looked on. The elevator started to slowly lower deeper into the ground.

"Hey, it seems like we're going down," Seth remarked.

"I wonder how that happened." Justin added.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out to get everyone's attention. They all saw the bump Eevee had pressed down and assumed it was a switch to bring the elevator down another level.

"Great job Eevee!" Justin exclaimed.

"I must say you're Eevee is quite the bright Pokemon!" Officer Jenny remarked. The elevator was moving down slowly while shaking a bit. After a few moments, the elevator started to really slow down before stopping. The bell rang and the doors opened up. The entire group walked out and noticed ahead of them was a huge tunnel that was lit by lanterns hanging throughout the walls. It wasn't cement walls or floors anymore. They all had travelled below the foundation of the building.

"I bet Team Immortal dug these up. C'mon, we got to keep moving. They might already be in possession of the jewel." Jenny said. The group then ran straight into the tunnels, hoping to lead to the criminal gang.

"Judging from the earth here, these tunnels seem like they were dug not too long ago."

"Yeah, there was some heavy duty construction going on here the past month. The company told us it was renovating the basement, but it was probably to do all this," Seth explained. "This means that the construction firm must have belonged to Team Immortal. They planned this from the start!"

After a few minutes, the end of the tunnel was visible, illuminated by a bright shining light. The entire group ran through the exit and into the next area.

"Huh, What?" someone remarked. All of a sudden, people around the area looked to see what or who just entered through the tunnel.

"Check it out..." Justin remarked as he observed the whole area. It was filled with machines, vehicles, computers and tons of construction equipment. Everyone else looked around to see what was below the company's ground level. Just then, a whole platoon of robed figures surrounded the group.

"What are you all doing here?" One of the people wearing lab coats asked forcefully.

"WHAT?! Mr. Perron?!" Seth cried out in shock.

"Oh Seth, what an unexpected surprise," The scientist smirked.

"You know that man?" Justin asked.

"Yes, he's the president of our company." Seth explained. "You work for Team Immortal too? Looking for the Ruby Jewel I suppose! How do you know it's even here?"

"My friend, Team Immortal has worked their way into many corporations and built relationships with them. The technology we've acquired through these partnerships enabled us to locate the jewel. We also have many agents undercover in other organizations, such as me. You may have known me as Mr. Perron, president of Ruby City's largest corporation. But, in Team Immortal, I am the head scientist of the Ruby City Project!" Mr. Perron explained.

"Team Immortal, you're under arrest for kidnapping the workers of the PokeTab Corporation and trickery!" Jenny announced, pointing at the head scientist.

"Well, I would take that as a threat. But, as you can see...I have you out-manned by a grand margin." Mr. Perron said, raising his arms to show off his personal.

"Jenny, he's right. They have the upper hand now." Seth exclaimed.

"That's right. Now if you all can just hang tight, Master Hades will be back soon with the legendary jewel we seek!"

"Oh no, we were right. They've found the Ruby Jewel..." Seth said.

"We have to stop them!" Justin remarked.

"Well, let's start with this!" Jenny shouted out as she pressed on of her studded earrings. All of a sudden, a group of Policemen charged through the tunnel behind them.

"Wait, where'd they come from?" Mr Perron asked.

"The Police Force is prepared for anything. And now, we're pretty even in forces." Jenny said smiling.

"Ha, well, let's see how you fare against the power of Team Immortal!" Mr Perron shouted out. All the grunts came forward and threw out Pokeballs, which released a whole bunch of Pokemon. Mightyena, Sneasal and Zubat all appeared in front of them.

"Oh yeah? We'll fight back!" Justin shouted out, as he threw his 2 Pokeballs in the air, releasing Torchic and Mudkip. Each let out a cry of their Pokemon speech tongue. Eevee jumped from his shoulder and joined its fellow teammates, each glaring at the Team Immortal Grunts. Jenny then grabbed her Pokeball and tossed it up releasing an Arcanine.

"Wow, that's a huge Pokemon!" Justin exclaimed excitedly. He then grabbed out his Pokedex to read up on its entry.

"_**Arcanine, the Legendary Pokemon. Its proud and regal appearance has captured the hearts of people since long ago." **_The Pokedex read out.

"Wow, that is so cool!" Justin gleamed with excitement at Arcanine.

"I guess it's my turn!" Seth said as he grabbed a Pokeball from his belt and threw it in the air. Out came Pokémon with the top half body coloured blue and the lower half cream. Its ears are triangular with red insides, and it possesses a rounded nose and red eyes.

"Quil-lava!" The Pokemon cried out. Fire then shot out from the top of its head and its back.

"Wow, so cool! I gotta check this out." Justin said as he started to grab his Pokedex. All of a sudden, he felt a smack on the back of his head. He looked up and saw Aly with him, her arms crossed and a frustrated look on her face.

"Aly? When did you co-"

"Justin, we're under attack! Maybe the Pokedex can wait?" Aly interrupted him.

"Oh yeah..."

"All right team, let's go!" Jenny commanded. The Police Officer Squad threw all their Pokeballs, which released a pack of Growlithe. The sides were now even now.

"Team Immortal! We have to stall them before Master Hades comes back!" Mr. Perron stated. "ATTACK!"

* * *

"All right guys, what do all say for a little gym battle practice?" Justin asked his team as he was head to head with a Grunt.

His Pokemon cried out in agreement in their respective tongue.

"You won't beat me kid!" the grunt said.

"We'll see about that man." Justin replied back. It was his Mightyena, Sneasal and Zubat against Justin's Eevee, Torchic and Mudkip.

"Mightyena, use your Bite on Eevee!"

"Raawwr" Mightyena howled out as it charged straight t Eevee.

"Eevee, jump up into the air and dodge!" Justin commanded. Eevee just jumped out of the way and avoided Mightyena's teeth. It was high in the air and began to fall downwards.

"Now, use Iron Tail!"

"Eev-vy!" Eevee cried out as its tail light up and smacked it down on Mightyena's head. It caused the dog Pokemon the slam hard onto the ground, unable to battle anymore. The grunt recalled his Pokemon.

"Grrrrr! Now Sneasal, use Ice Shard on Mudkip!" The Grunt commanded.

"Sneasal!" Sneasal cried out as it created pointed shards of ice and hurled them at Mudkip.

"Torchic, block those shards by using ember!" Justin commanded.

"Tor!" Torchic released balls of fire from its mouth, which blocked the ice shards and melted them into water. The ember attack then went straight for Sneasal, knocking it backwards onto its back. Just then, the grunt's Golbat came up behind Torchic to use an attack. Torchic looked behind itself and froze in fear.

"Mudkip, water gun attack!"

"Kip!" Mudkip cried out as it shot out a powerful stream of water right at Golbat. It made direct contact with the blue bat, sending it towards the ground and unable to battle. Torchic ran right towards Mudkip and thanked it for its help. Mudkip smiled, but then heard footsteps coming from its blind side. Just as Mudkip turned, Sneasal jumped towards it to swipe its sharp claws.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out as it hit Sneasal with a tackle attack just before the ice Pokemon collided with Mudkip. The attack sent Sneasal towards a rock, which it slammed into and became unable to battle.

"Oh no! I better get outta here!" the grunt shouted out. He recalled his fainted Pokemon and ran off.

"All right!" Justin shouted out, jumping up and fist pumping the air. He ran up to his Pokemon, knelt down and congratulated all of them.

"You guys were awesome!" Justin said smiling. He then looked back and saw Aly was outnumbered. "C'mon, we gotta help out Aly!" He and his Pokemon then ran in her direction to her aid.

* * *

"Vulpix, flamethrower attack!" Aly commanded timidly. She had her Vulpix facing off against a grunt's Scyther. Vulpix released a red-orange stream of fire from its mouth towards Scyther, knocking the Pokemon out of the battle. The grunt returned his Pokemon and ran off. Just after, 3 grunts ambushed her with Golbat and Mightyena.

"You're outnumbered now girl!" one of the grunts shouted.

Aly started to feel weak as she was breathing a little more heavily than before. Her Pokemon took notice and were concerned for her. She bent down on one knee trying to catch her breath.

"_No, not now...It was only one battle...I've lasted longer than this before..."_

"Golbat, get her!" another one commanded. The bat Pokemon shot an air cutter attack right at Aly. She braced herself for the attack by raising her arms to cover her face. All of a sudden, a shadow ball attack came out of nowhere and blocked the air cutter wind. She looked on and saw Justin coming her way and the attack coming from Eevee.

"ALY! We're coming to help you!" Justin shouted as he ran in her direction. He reached to where she was and faced the 3 grunts attacking.

"All right! Mudkip! Use your water gun! Torchic, ember!" Justin commanded.

Mudkip and Torchic stood by together and each released their respective attacks to knock out all the grunts Pokemon. They all return theirs to the Pokeballs and ran off too.

"All right!" Justin shouted happily.

"Thanks Justin!" Aly exclaimed. All of their Pokemon celebrating by jumping up and down for joy.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah...I'll be fine." Justin then helped Aly stand up to her feet. They looked on at the battles that were taking place, and it seemed like their side was winning. Just then, Justin and Aly saw Seth running up to them.

"Justin, Aly, we need to get to that area there in order to stop their master from getting the jewel!" Seth explained as he pointed towards the ruined hole located at the end of the cave. If we sneak behind those computer machines there, we can avoid the grunts. I will then distract Mr. Perron while you two chase down their master."

"Sounds good Seth, just be careful." Justin said.

With that, Justin, Aly, Seth and all their Pokemon ran towards the computer machines and crawled behind them, avoiding all the grunts that were battling or looking for a battle. They eventually made their way around and right in line with Mr Perron against the cave wall.

"All right, I'm going to battle Mr Perron to distract him. Once we're locked in, you guys move on ahead." Seth explained. Justin and Aly nodded, understanding their roles. Seth and Quilava then got up from their hiding spot and ran towards his boss.

"Well, well...look who has come to play." Mr Perron smirked.

"You were someone I looked up to. You won't get away with this." Seth said, clenching his fist with anger.

"Hahaha...fine, let's battle." Mr Perron grabbed a Pokeball from his belt and threw it in the air. Out came 3 metal balls stuck together with each having a screw on top of their head, Magnets on their sides and an eyeball.

"Now Magneton, use Metal Sound!"

"Quilava, use flamethrower!" Seth commanded. The 2 Pokemon launched their attacks at each other. They collided and created a smoke explosion that covered their battle area.

"Now's our chance! Let's move!" Justin said. Aly, the Pokemon and him walked past Mr. Perron and towards the ruined hole. They eventually reached the hole where they saw 2 people emerge to the surface. One of them was a Team Immortal Grunt, and the other was in brown hooded robes, a black cape and a red mask. He was holding a red, sparkling round jewel in his arms. They then noticed Justin and Aly were right in front of them.

"Hey, that must be the Ruby Jewel!" Justin yelled out at them.

"Master Hades, I'll take care of these kids. Get yourself over to the escape point!" the grunt remarked.

"Right!" Hades said, as he then ran in the opposite direction of Justin and Aly.

"We need to stop him!" Justin shouted.

"You guys aren't stopping my master. Go Sneasal!" The grunt called out as he threw his Pokeball and released his Pokemon.

"Eevee use you Iron Tail!" Justin commanded.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out as it raised its glowing tail and slammed it into Sneasal, sending it flying backwards towards the wall.

"Oh no, I gotta get outta here!" The grunt shouted as he ran off.

"C'mon! Let's go stop Hades!" Justin remarked as he, Aly and their Pokemon then ran in the direction where Hades headed off. They chased the hooded figure to where his rendezvous point was. They ran up inclined rocky paths and tracked through mudded areas in order to catch up to him. They got to a point where Hades came across a dead end where Justin and Aly could corner him. There was a ladder that Hades climbed to reach the high ground. Once on top, he knocked the ladder over, preventing Justin and Aly from reaching him. Justin looked behind him to see Aly struggling to keep up with him. She was about to fall over before Justin ran to her and caught her in his arms.

"Aly! Are you ok?" Justin asked worriedly.

"Yeah...just a little tired. I'll be fine..." Aly said weakly before standing on her won. Hades started to laugh as the 2 trainers looked up at him

"Heh, heh, heh...you children came close, but close doesn't cut it." Hades snickered, his back facing Justin and Aly.

"You come back here! That jewel doesn't belong to you!" Justin shouted out.

"Au contraire, we need this jewel to implement our master plan!" Hades replied. They all heard footsteps coming from the distance, where Justin and Aly saw Seth running up the inclined hill.

"Seth!" Justin exclaimed.

"Hey guys, I took care of Mr. Perron, but he and all the other grunts have ran off and escaped. Officer Jenny and her troops are seeking them out." Seth explained.

"Fool! You may have defeated my soldiers, but our true objectives were." Hades said as he turned around to face them.

"Guess what, we're going to stop you!" Justin shouted back. Hades looked behind him and closely examined Justin through the eye holes on his mask.

"_...I know you...can it be?" _Hades thought to himself.

"What is your plan about anyway?" Seth asked.

"Well, in short, Team Immortal plans to locate the legendary jewels in order to utilize the Energy Creation Mechanism." Hades announced to them.

"But that machine has been lost for many centuries. You won't be able to find it."

"We'll see about that."

"No you won't, because we're going to stop you." Justin shouted out

"Haha, well, I'd like to see you try...Justin." Hades said deviously.

"WHAT?!"

"Justin? You know this guy?" Aly asked curiously.

"...No...I don't...How is it that you know me?" Justin asked in disbelief.

"Oh, I know you quite well Justin. We've had quite a history together."

"..."

"You may turn out to be a useful pawn to me in the future. But I have no use for your friends, so I will get rid of them!" Hades shouted out as he pointed for Aly.

"Aly, look out!" Seth yelled out.

Aly turned to her right where she saw a shadow ball attack coming right for her. She froze up in fear, staring at the attack and not able to dodge.

"ALY!" Justin shouted. It was then, a big smoke explosion occurred where she were standing.

"Oh no!" Seth shouted out, worried about Aly. As the smoke subsided, he saw Aly still standing. She were shaking, closing their eyes and ready to embrace the inevitable pain. She opened her eyes and looked down below them. Torchic was on the ground all covered in dirt and bruises.

"TORCHIC!" Justin cried out. He ran over towards it and kneeled down and picked up his Pokemon, cradling it in his arms. The rest of Justin and Aly's Pokemon ran up to him to see to the condition of their comrade.

"Are you guys all right?" Seth asked as he ran closer to them.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But Torchic seems hurt..." Aly said.

"A grunt came out of nowhere with his Mightyena and attacked. Torchic intercepted the blast at the last minute, protecting you Aly." Seth added. Justin then looked down at Torchic, who opened its eyes slightly to see its Trainer.

"Torchic, thank you..." Justin said as he embraced his hurt Pokemon closer to his chest. He then grunted angrily and looked back up at the grunt.

"All right Eevee, use your Iron Tail at full power!" Justin commanded.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out as it ran towards the Mightyena. Eevee's jumped up into the air as its tail glowed. It then slammed its tail across the face of Mightyena, sending it flying to the side.

"AHHH!" the grunt cried out. He returned its fallen Pokemon and ran away.

"Hmm, it seems your Pokemon care for you a lot." Hades remarked.

"You're going to pay!" Justin shouted out to him.

"That was nothing. But, I can see that you have the potential to be a very good Pokemon trainer. Hmm, maybe you'll join us in the near future! I know someone who would like that very dearly..." Hades exclaimed. He started to laugh maniacally and walked away.

"Come back here!" Seth shouted. The group started running towards him when suddenly; they felt an explosion come from the top. It caused them to cover their heads from the falling debris. Once they looked up, the top of the cave was blown up, revealing sunlight and the sky. A strong wind then came about that made them hold their ground. A helicopter was rising up and eventually left through the hole leading to the surface.

"They're gone..." Aly said as she recuperated from the wind storm.

"Yeah, and with the legendary Ruby Jewel too." Seth added.

Justin just stood there with Torchic in his arms, trying to understand what had just gone on. That last conversation with Hades kept playing in Justin's mind over and over again. He had no clue who that Hades was and how he knew him. Justin just stared into space, retracing his old memories to find any sort of clue that would lead to Hades. But, nothing clicked or came about. The Police force along with Officer Jenny arrived in the area with Justin, Aly and Seth.

"Are you guys all right?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah, we're fine." Aly replied.

"Team Immortal's boss got away though," Seth said quietly.

"I know, as well as all the other grunts that we battled down below." Jenny remarked. She then turned to Justin, who had a blank expression on his face.

"Hey, are you ok?"

"Huh...oh yeah, I'm fine."

"I think you should take your Torchic to the Pokemon Centre. Let us take care of this scene," Jenny said with a smile.

* * *

Justin and Aly stood outside the treatment room, looking through the giant window on the wall. Nurse Joy and Chansey were treating Torchic by doing medical tests and administering antibiotics. Eevee, Squirtle, Mudkip and Vulpix were all cuddled up together, sleeping peacefully on the nearby benches.

"I really hope Torchic will be ok. It's my fault it's in this condition." Aly said, breaking the silence.

"Don't worry; Torchic is a fighter...despite its derpy tendencies. I'm sure it'll be fine." Justin said, turning his head towards her.

"I can't help but feel bad. If only I had kept my guard up and wasn't so weak..."

"Aly stop it." He said firmly which caused Aly to look up at him. "Listen, Torchic did it because it saw you were in danger and wanted to help you. Eevee, Mudkip, Squirtle, Vulpix...even I would have blocked the attack. It's because we're friends Aly, we look out for each other. So don't sweat it ok? I'm just glad you're all right."

Aly looked the other way and started to tear up. Justin put his arm around her and held her close.

"I'm sorry Justin...I'll be the one to help you next time..." She remarked softly through her tears into his jacket. "_If it were only possible..."_

"Well, I'll tell you one thing." Justin remarked. Aly looked up at him. "This is very unlike Torchic. It's usually dazing off into space, yet today it was like a superhero...Pokemon sure are mysterious eh?" Aly giggled and nodded.

"Maybe it's a sign that Torchic's growing up." Aly added. Justin laughed and agreed with her.

He helped Aly regain her composure as they both walked towards the benches where their Pokemon were to sit down. About 20 minutes later, the doors to the treatment room slid open and Nurse Joy popped out. Justin, Aly and their Pokemon got off the benches and walked towards the nurse.

"Nurse Joy, how's Torchic doing?" Justin asked immediately.

"The treatment was a success. Torchic is going to be just fine." Nurse Joy said happily.

"Oh thank goodness," Aly sighed. Nurse Joy extended her arm to direct them through to the treatment room doors. Justin, Aly and their Pokemon walked past her and through the doors to find Torchic. Inside the room laid the injured Chick Pokemon on a rolling hospital bed. Torchic's head rested on a pillow and had a blanket over top of its body in order to keep warm and comfortable. Justin and Aly walked up beside the bed while Eevee, Mudkip, Vulpix and Squirtle jumped up onto another treatment bed to be on level. Torchic slowly opened its eyes to see its trainer and friends.

"Torchic! I'm so glad you ok!" Justin exclaimed.

"Tor-"Torchic chirped softly, acknowledging its Trainer's feelings.

"Thanks for saving me from that attack earlier Torchic. You were really brave." Aly said as she massaged the side of Torchic's face. Torchic smiled, nuzzling against the soft hand on its face. The rest of the Pokemon cried out happily in their respective tongue to cheer Torchic for its efforts. Torchic smiled and nodded its peers. Just then, they heard some footsteps enter the room. As Justin and Aly looked behind them, they saw a familiar face.

"Seth!" they both called out.

"Hey guys! How's Torchic doing?" Seth asked.

"Nurse Joy has taken care of it and now just needs rest. Torchic is going to be fine!" Justin explained. Seth then walked up to the bed next to Torchic, who noticed Seth's presence.

"I'm glad you're doing better buddy."Seth said smiling.

"Tor-Torchic!" Torchic chirped, smiling back. Seth then turned to Justin and Aly.

"I just want to say, thank you both for all of your help."

"Well thanks! But, I really didn't do that much..." Aly said nervously.

"Well, you did help us figure out that Team Immortal was located below the basement. That counts as help, right?" Aly smiled and nodded.

"What's going on with the Police?" Justin asked.

"Officer Jenny and her crew are investigating the scene. Many more details are coming up about the start of their plan, where they might be, etc." Seth explained.

"I see."

"So Justin, have you figured out whom that Hades is and how he might know you?"

"I haven't gotten the slightest clue..." Justin replied. "I'm sure with Team Immortal still out there that we'll run into him again. Hopefully, I will have a better idea by then."

"I hope you figure it out. Oh yeah, as part of my gratitude, I would like to give you both one of these," Seth said as he pulled something from his inside jacket pocket. Out came 2 small square machines, one coloured blue and the other pink. The PokeNav logo was engraved on the top of the device.

"Are those PokeTabs?" Aly asked surprised.

"Yep, I would like both of you to have one. I assume you guys came looking for these in the first place yes? I'm sure they'll help you on your journey!" Seth exclaimed.

"Wow, this is awesome! Thanks Seth!" Justin said. He and Aly received the PokeTabs from Seth and powered them on.

"It currently has the map, radio, Pokemon condition and match call apps installed. There are additional apps to download when you come across them on your journey."

"Wow, this is really cool. Thank you so much Seth!" Aly remarked.

"Anytime! Oh yeah, I heard you're challenging the Gym Leader here eh Justin?" Seth remarked.

"Yep, it's what I originally planned to do before this whole mess."

"I see. Well good luck, the leader is pretty strong and no push over."

"Got it, thanks Seth!"

As Seth left and said his goodbyes, Justin and Aly walked back into the treatment room with all their Pokemon.

"You ready for tomorrow?" Aly asked.

"Oh hells yeah! I'm going to win my second gym badge!" Justin exclaimed loudly doing his signature celebration. Aly and the Pokemon just laughed at the sight. Tomorrow will be a big day, as Justin competes for his 2nd Minero League badge.


	12. Chapter 12 - A Heated Gym Battle

_**A/N: Apologies for another late chapter posting. School once again has taken over my life lol. Anyways, here's the newest chapter: Justin's 2nd Gym Battle.**_

**Chapter 12: A Heated Gym Battle**

"ALL RIGHT! I'M READY FOR MY NEXT GYM BADGE!" Justin shouted at the top of his lungs from his bedroom. Eevee jumped up into the air from the bed in shock, awakened from its lovely slumber by Justin's loud announcement. It landed on the floor hard with its face planted on the ground.

"Whoops, sorry Eevee...heh-heh."

"Vy..." Eevee mumbled, shaking its head.

"All right, let's say we wash up, wake up Aly, have breakfast and go challenge the Gym!"

It was early morning of the day Justin finally challenged the Ruby City gym. It was weird because he never got up early...except for gym battles. Both Justin and Aly had stayed in the Pokemon Centre's bedrooms for the night. Justin got dressed, packed all his things, washed up and ran out the door with Eevee perched on his shoulder. He walked right next door to Aly's room and knocked on the door heavily.

"Aly! Let's go!" Justin shouted. Aly instantly opened the door to confront him.

"Holy cow, can you be any louder?" Aly moaned groggily, obviously still tired.

"C'mon, hurry up so we can eat some breakfast and then go the Ruby Gym!"

"Not that hungry now. I'll just meet you in the main lobby."

"Ok, see ya then!" Aly then slammed the door shut, creating a small wind that blew at Justin's face.

"Wow, Girls. They're so dramatic sometimes eh?" Justin asked Eevee.

"Vy..." Eevee shot back, giving him sass by looking the other way.

"Hey, what did I say?!"

* * *

Justin had just finished eating breakfast at the diner hall. He let Torchic and Mudkip out of their Pokeballs to get a small bite before the gym battle. They all walked towards the main lobby and sat on a couch while waiting for Aly.

"All right guys, we've been training real hard for this moment. Our goal today is to get that Gym badge, so I'm counting on every one of you," Justin stated with some energy.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out confidently.

"Mud-kip!" Mudkip added.

Once Justin looked at Torchic, he saw the chick Pokemon staring out the window, looking at god-who-knows-what.

"Torchic! Did ya hear me?"

"Tor-...Tor-chic!" Torchic quickly replied, focusing back on its trainer.

"...Anyways, let's give it our best!" Justin exclaimed. He then returned Torchic and Mudkip back to their respective Pokeballs. Moments later, Aly made her way to the lobby and met up with Justin.

"You ready?" She asked him.

"Always," Justin replied, giving thumbs up and a wink.

* * *

Justin and Aly arrived at front of the Ruby gym. It had been 2 days since the incident with Team Immortal. Justin was initially going to challenge the gym the day after that fiasco, but decided to let his Pokemon rest a bit more. The group walked through the red doors and entered into the gym arena. Not much was different from the Amethyst Gym with the exception of no main lobby room in this one. It was just a regular battle arena with an upper level of seats on the side for spectators. Justin and Aly looked around to find that no one else was there.

"Hello! Anyone home?!" Justin shouted out in the empty area. Just then, a girl walked out from a door to their left in her PJ's and yawned out loud.

"Can I help you...?" She moaned groggily.

"Um, I'm here to battle the gym leader to earn my 2nd badge."

"Isn't it a bit too early for...oh wait, what time is it?"

"It's like, 10 o'clock." Aly remarked.

"AW MAN, I overslept again!" the girl exclaimed dramatically.

"...what?" Justin said, confused as ever.

"...I'm sorry, let me introduce myself. My name is Maggie, and I'm the gym leader here!"

"Wait, you're the gym leader?" Aly asked.

"Sure am!"

"Well Maggie, My name is Justin Riser. I challenge you to a gym battle!" Justin announced.

"I accept your challenge Justin...but, you're going to have to wait a little bit. As you can see, I sort of just got up," Maggie said, as she started laughing, embarrassed of the situation.

Justin, Aly and Eevee looked at each other, trying to figure out what had just happened.

"I'll be back in a jiffy!" Maggie exclaimed as she ran back through the side door.

"You know Justin; she's a lot like you." Aly giggled.

* * *

Moments later, Maggie entered through the doors wearing a red crop top and blue jeans shorts.

"Now, let's get this battle underway!" She exclaimed. Aly went to the spectator stands and let out all her Pokemon so they can cheer for Justin. The battlefield was a normal smooth dirt field with white lines indicating the boundaries. Justin and Eevee entered their side of the arena. The battle judge came out from side doors and made his way to his platform on the right boundary line.

"The battle at the Ruby City Gym between the Gym Leader, Maggie, and the Challenger, Justin from Revo Town, is about to begin! Both participants can use up to 3 Pokemon, and only the challenger will be allowed substitutions. Now trainers choose your Pokemon!" The battle judge announced.

"Go Torkoal!" Maggie shouted as she threw her Pokeball in the air. Out came an orange turtle Pokemon with a black shell that shot out black smoke.

"Tor-koal!" Torkoal cried out.

"Torkoal eh? That's a sick Pokemon! Ok, I choose you, Mudkip!" Justin shouted as he threw his Pokeball which released Mudkip

"Now that both Pokemon are out, let the battle begin!"

"All right, Mudkip let's go! Use your tackle attack!" Justin commanded.

Mudkip began to charge head on towards Torkoal.

"Torkoal, iron defense!" Maggie commanded.

Torkoal shell shined brightly as it hid into it to defend itself. Mudkip tackled it, but easily bounced back, doing more damage to itself rather than Torkoal.

"Mudkip, use mud slap!" Justin commanded. Mudkip used one of its fin paws to sweep the ground. Dark brown mud formed from its fin paws and headed for Torkoal.

"Torkoal, hide in your shell!" Maggie commanded.

Torkoal hid into its shell again, repelling Mudkip's attack.

"Nothing I do is working!" Justin exclaimed.

"We got you now! Torkoal, use sludge bomb!" Maggie commanded.

"Tor-koal!" Torkoal cried out. It then shot out dark sludge balls at Mudkip. Mudkip was able to dodge the first few, but then got hit in the face with one, sending it backwards towards Justin.

"Mudkip, hang in there!" Justin called out.

"Mud-kip!" Mudkip cried out, wiping the sludge from its eyes.

"Wow, this is so much fun! Torkoal, use flamethrower!" Maggie commanded. Torkoal release a stream of fire towards Mudkip.

"Mudkip, use your water gun to counter!" Justin commanded. Mudkip shot out a stream of water to counter the flamethrower. The 2 attacks collided, which then created a steam cloud around the arena.

"I can't see through this!" Justin exclaimed as he tried to find Torkoal. Just then, the steam cloud dissipated.

"_There must be another way..." _Justin thought. All of a sudden, an idea popped into his head.

"Mudkip, use your water gun again!"

Mudkip then released another water gun attack towards Torkoal.

"Torkoal, hide in your shell again!" Maggie commanded. Torkoal hid in its shell again, and the water just reflected off the shell.

"Keep up the attack Mudkip, and get close to Torkoal!" Justin called out.

Mudkip kept shooting water from its mouth while running close to Torkoal until it was right beside it.

"No matter how close you get, my Torkoal is too well protected!" Maggie explained.

"Not this time! Mudkip, no use Mud slap and sweep up Torkoal onto its back!" Justin commanded.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out. Just as it swept on the ground with its fin paw, it got under the shell of Torkoal and flipped the turtle Pokemon over while getting the attack into a hole of its shell. Mud also shot into the hole of the shell where Torkoal's head pops out

"Tor, Tor-koal!" Torkoal cried out. It was on the back of its shell, flailing around to try to bring itself back on the ground. Its face was covered in mud as well

"Oh no, Torkoal!" Maggie cried out.

"Now that it's out and vulnerable, Mudkip use your Water Gun!" Justin commanded.

Mudkip released another stream of water at Torkoal. With Torkoal's vulnerable, it took the super effective attack right on. Torkoal flew backwards and landed on its stomach, unable to continue.

"Torkoal is unable to battle, which means that Mudkip is the winner!" The battle judge announced.

"Way to go Mudkip!" Justin called out.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out happily, looking back at its trainer.

"Yay! He beat the first one!" Aly said cheerfully. Squirtle and Vulpix were cheering beside her.

Maggie got out Torkoal Pokeball and recalled her fallen Pokemon.

"Torkoal, you were great. Get a good rest." She said to the Pokeball. She exchanged it with another Pokeball from her belt and threw it in the air. Out came a small dog-like Pokemon that was orange with black stripes.

"Grow!" It growled.

"A Growlithe! This is so cool!" Justin exclaimed.

"I know right! Growlithe is such an awesome member of my team! It won't be easy!"

"All right, on with the battle!" the judge announced.

"Growlithe, use your take down attack!" Maggie commanded.

Growlithe started to charge head on towards Mudkip.

"Mudkip, dodge that!" Justin commanded. Mudkip just jumped out of the way of Growlithe.

"Now use Water gun!"

Mudkip turned around to face Growlithe and released a water gun attack. It hit Growlithe straight on, which Growlithe cried out in pain.

"Keep on going Justin!" Aly cheered. Growlithe quickly got up to its feet

"Now use your tackle attack!" Justin commanded. Mudkip started to run and charge at Growlithe. It hit the orange dog Pokemon hard, which sent it back towards Maggie. Growlithe slowly got up after that.

"Hmm, this seems so easy...How come Maggie isn't doing anything?" Aly said to herself in the stands

"What gives? This has been easy! Whatever, now Mudkip, finish this off with one more water gun!" Justin commanded.

Mudkip then began to charge its water gun attack. Maggie strung a cunning smile.

"Now Growlithe, use attract!" She commanded.

Growlithe jumped up into the air and locked eyes with Mudkip. It gave out a flirty wink which caused hearts to appear and float towards Mudkip. It circled the mud fish Pokemon before making contact with it. Mudkip suddenly had hearts in its eyes and acted all lovey-dovey.

"Wait, what?!" Justin exclaimed.

"Mud...kip..." Mudkip cried out in a soft and sweet voice.

"Looks like your Mudkip is all dazed and confused. Thanks to Growlithe's attract, Mudkip has fallen for my Growlithe, so it'll never attack her! Awesome, huh?" Maggie explained.

"This must have been her plan from the start...c'mon Justin..." Aly remarked.

"Mudkip! C'mon man! Snap out of it!" Justin called out. But Mudkip wouldn't listen. It just swayed back and forth with hearts on its eyes.

"Now Growlithe, it's time to fight back! Use your flamethrower attack!" Maggie commanded. Growlithe released a stream of fire that hit Mudkip right on, sending it backwards.

"Mudkip!" Justin cried out.

"Growlithe, finish this up with Take Down!"

Growlithe charged straight towards Mudkip, hitting hit hard and sending it towards the back wall. Mudkip dropped to the floor and didn't get back up.

"Mudkip is unable to battle, Growlithe wins!" the battle judge announced.

"Mudkip!" Justin called out as he rushed to the aid of his Pokemon. He lifted it in his arms as Mudkip regained its sight back.

"You ok pal?"

"Mud..." Mudkip said weakly.

"You were awesome, take a good rest." Justin said. He then walked over to Aly in the stands

"Aly, will you hold on to Mudkip?" He asked her.

"Umm...sure," Aly replied accepting Mudkip from him into her arms.

"I want Mudkip to help cheer us on and see when we win!"

"Gotcha! Keep on going Justin!" Justin smiled and walked back to his side of the arena.

"This battle is sooo great! The passion in this battle is amazing! You're not half bad Justin!" Maggie exclaimed towards the ceiling.

"Right back at you Maggie!" Justin then looked down at Eevee.

"All right Eevee, it's your turn now!"

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out as it entered the battle ring. The battle judge saw Eevee arrive on the field and looked back to the centre of the arena

"Now that we have 2 Pokemon, let the battle-"

"Oh my god! You're Eevee is so adorable! It's so awesome!" Maggie exclaimed as she interrupted the battle judge.

"Right?! Eevee was my first Pokemon and a real special one too!" Justin added.

"No way! That's so cool, I can't wait-. "The 2 continued to praise Eevee to the point that they forgot about the battle. Eevee, Aly, her Pokemon and the battle judge sighed in disbelief.

"...they're totally the same..." Aly muttered. Her Pokemon and Mudkip gave a little laugh.

"Excuse me people! There's a battle happening right now!" The battle judge announced. Justin and Maggie stopped talking as they realized that fact.

"Oh yeah...ha-ha. My bad. All right, back to the battle! Eevee, use Shadow Ball!" Justin commanded.

"Puh-Phvy!" Eevee cried out as it formed a ball of shadow magic and hurled it at Growlithe.

"Growlithe, use flamethrower!" Maggie commanded.

"Grow!" Growlithe roared as it countered with its flamethrower attack. The 2 attacks collided, creating a mini smoke explosion that subsided quickly.

"Eevee, use Dig!" Justin called out. Eevee then jumped and dug itself into a hole in the ground.

"Careful Growlithe, Eevee can pop up anywhere at any time!" Maggie warned. Growlithe relaxed itself and tuned in to its hearing senses. Once it heard a small rumbling from below it, Growlithe jumped out of the way. Eevee popped out of the ground where Growlithe was, but missed.

"Growlithe, Take down!" Maggie commanded.

Growlithe charged straight at Eevee, hitting it hard and sending it to the other side of the ring.

"Hang in there Eevee!" Justin shouted. Eevee quickly got up though.

"Nice, now use Shadow Ball again!"

Eevee conjured up another ball of shadow energy and hurled it at Growlithe.

"Growlithe, counter it with flamethrower!" Maggie commanded.

Growlithe let loose another flamethrower attack, which collided with the shadow ball and caused an even bigger smoke explosion.

"Ahh, I can't see!" Maggie cried out.

"Eevee, quickly, use dig." Justin commanded.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out as it dug into the ground again. Once the smoke passed away, Maggie and Growlithe were both shocked not to see Eevee there.

"Wait, where did Eevee go?" Maggie exclaimed.

"Now Eevee!" Justin shouted. Eevee popped up from the ground right under Growlithe, sending a super effective attack at it. Growlithe flew up and backwards near Maggie and landed hard on the ground.

"Growlithe!" Maggie called out in worriment. Growlithe slowly got up to its feet.

"Finish this with Tackle!" Justin commanded. Eevee got ready to charge right at Growlithe.

"Not so fast! Growlithe, use attract!" Maggie commanded.

"Grow!" Growlithe roared as it gave a flirty wink at Eevee. Hearts formed in the air and made its way to Eevee.

"Eevee!" Justin shouted. As the hearts made contact with Eevee, it glittered in a bright light for a bit. Justin was ready to snap Eevee out of it, but then realized something. Eevee was not all wobbly and dazed like Mudkip was before. It quickly looked back at Justin and smiled. Its eyes still had a competitive fire in them.

"What?! Don't tell me..." Maggie exclaimed.

"It didn't work! Which means Eevee is a girl! That must be why Justin put out Eevee!" Aly exclaimed.

"Wow...Eevee's a girl? Who knew?" Justin remarked as he started to laugh embarrasingly. Aly, Squirtle, Vulpix, Mudkip and Eevee dropped to the floor in disbelief.

"...now that's same old, naive Justin I know," Aly said as she got back to her seat.

"I guess that explains why Eevee gave me sass when I made that comment about girls this morning, haha!" Justin said playfully as he chuckled a bit more.

"Justin, c'mon, you're still in a battle!" Aly shouted at him.

"Oh, right! All right Eevee, use Iron Tail!"

"Puh-Phvy!" Eevee cried out as its tail started to light up. It jumped in the air and angled its tail so it would slam down on Growlithe.

"Growlithe, dodge it!" Maggie commanded. Growlithe tried to get out of the way, but was too late as Eevee's tail made contact with Growlithe and slammed it to the ground. Growlithe tried to get back up, but collapsed to the ground letting out a faint cry.

"Growlithe is unable to battle! Eevee is the winner!" The battle judge announced.

"Great job Eevee!" Justin called out.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee purred happily. Aly and the Pokemon in the stands cheered loudly.

"Just one more and then he's good!" Aly said to the Pokemon. Squirtle, Vulpix and Mudkip cheered louder than before.

Maggie grabbed out Growlithe's Pokeball to return the fallen Pokemon. "_This battle has been awesome. Its non-stop action with both trainers really fired up. It figures for a Fire Type Gym." _She thought to herself.

"Growlithe, get a good rest." She quietly said. She put it away and grabbed her final Pokeball.

"Nice battling so far Justin! You're really giving it your all!" Maggie said with a surprisingly serious tone. It caught Justin off guard a little.

"Oh, uh...thanks Maggie, you're doing well too!" Justin replied.

"But, this last battle is no picnic. And you're about to see why." She remarked as she threw the Pokeball into the air. Out came an orange monkey like Pokemon with a white spiked mane, blue marking above its eyes and a flame lit on its tail.

"Wow, I think that's a Monferno!" Justin exclaimed as he got out his Pokedex.

"_**Monferno, the playful Pokemon. It skillfully controls the intensity of the fire on its tail to keep its foes at an ideal distance.**_" The Pokedex stated.

"This is so cool! I'm excited to see it in battle!"

"You better be focused and ready to battle if you want to win!" Maggie remarked. Justin noticed that she had a more serious persona now. Probably because she was down to her last Pokemon.

"I am! All right Eevee; use you Shadow Ball attack!" Justin commanded. Eevee conjured up another Shadow ball and hurled it at Monferno.

"Take it Monferno!" Maggie commanded.

Monferno raised its arms in a cross and took the blow of the attack. The force shifted Monferno backwards a bit, but was still on its feet.

"Ok, let's try by using Iron tail!" Justin commanded.

Eevee's tail started to light up as it jumped into the air. It somersaulted and positioned itself to slam its tail on Monferno.

"Monferno, use Mach Punch!" Maggie commanded.

"Monferno!" Monferno cried out as it quickly jumped up in the air. Its fist lit up and swiftly punched Eevee's face before the Iron Tail made contact with it. Eevee fell down and landed on its back

"Eevee! Are you all right?" Justin called out. Eevee slowly got up and nodded.

"Ok, use Dig!"

"Eevee dug into the ground to try and sneak attack Monferno.

"Keep your guard up Monferno!" Maggie said. Monferno raised its concentration to find where Eevee might appear. It then heard rumbling from the ground behind it. It quickly turned the other and saw Eevee pop up.

"Use Shadow Ball!" Justin commanded

"Flamethrower!" Maggie cried out.

Eevee and Monferno both launched their attacks at each other. They both got hit by them and flew backwards towards their respective trainers.

"Get up Eevee, you can do it!" Justin shouted out. Eevee slowly got up to its feet, clearly fatigued. Monferno got up more quickly, still having tons of energy.

"All right, let's go one more time. Eevee, tackle attack!"

"Ee-vee!" Eevee cried out as it charged on ahead.

"Monferno, Mach Punch." Maggie said calmly.

"Mon-ferno!" Monferno roared out as its fist lit up. With a full burst of speed, it dashed towards Eevee and punched it on the side. Eevee was knocked over to the side near the judge, its eyes having swirls.

"Eevee, is unable to battle, Monferno is the winner!" the battle judge announced.

Justin ran up to Eevee and picked it up in his arms.

"Eevee, you ok?"Justin asked concernedly

"Ee-vy..." Eevee said softly.

"You were amazing. Take a good rest," Justin said with a wink. He then walked up to Aly to give her his Pokemon. Aly settled down Mudkip, who was feeling better, on the side with Vulpix to hold Eevee.

"I'm going to need your guys' help. Can you cheer hard for me?" Justin asked.

"You can count on us!" Aly said confidently. All the Pokemon agreed as they cried out in their respective tongue. Justin then walked back to his corner.

"Well Maggie, this is my last Pokemon, and I'm going to give it my all! Justin said.

"That's the spirit Justin! Keep up that fiery spirit!" Maggie stated.

"I choose you, Torchic!"

Justin's Pokeball opened up and out came Torchic. It yawned and scratched its side with its leg. Torchic looked like it had just woken up from a nap

"C'mon Torchic we need to battle now!" Justin called out.

"Tor-chic," it chirped softly.

"Oh man...,"Justin slapped his hand on his forehead and shook his head.

"Wow, a day sure does make a difference. Torchic was adventurous and brave yesterday, and now is back to its old spaced-out self today." Aly remarked.

"...Oh whatever, Torchic and I can win this battle! So get ready for a real match!" Justin stated loudly.

"...All right! Monferno, use Mach Punch!" Maggie commanded. Monferno jumped into the air and dove towards Torchic with its fist lit up.

"Torchic, dodge it!" Justin commanded.

Torchic was looking on the ground. It was admiring the series of rocks and gravel on the ground from the previous dig attacks. All of a sudden, it felt a punch on its face that sent it flying backwards and passed Justin against the back wall.

"Torchic, c'mon, I need you to get up!" Justin called out. Torchic slowly got up and walked casually back to the battlefield.

"That's it. Now Torchic, use ember!"

"Tor-chic!" Torchic cried out as it released fire balls from its mouth towards Monferno

"Monferno, use flamethrower!" Maggie commanded. Monferno shot out a stream of fire from its mouth to counter Torchic's ember. The 2 attacks collided and created a mini smoke explosion. It subsided pretty quickly, but Maggie suddenly caught sight of Torchic running towards Monferno.

"Now Torchic, use Peck!" Justin commanded.

Torchic's beak was lit up and was ready to peck at Monferno. Monferno froze at that moment. The attack was going to hit it, but Torchic tripped onto the ground and rolled in the direction of Monferno.

"Monferno, Mach Punch!" Maggie commanded.

"Monferno!" Monferno cried out as it lit up its fist and punched the rolled up Torchic backwards and onto the ground.

"Torchic!" Justin called out.

"Now use flame wheel!" Maggie commanded. Monferno engulfed itself in flames and started to roll on the spot. It then rolled right towards Torchic and sent it flying back towards the same wall it hit previously.

"I got you Torchic!" Justin shouted as he jumped in the way and intercepted Torchic from hitting the wall. The speed of Torchic caused Justin to crash into the wall, but he shielded his Pokemon.

"Justin!" Aly called out from the stands.

"Aghh...are you all right Torchic?" Justin asked brokenly.

"Tor-..." Torchic replied softly. It looked up at its trainer with its eyes tearing up a bit.

"Don't worry buddy. I got you." Justin smiled. He then grimaced as he felt pain in his back.

"Tor-chic!" Torchic chirped as it was worried about its trainer.

"I'll be fine Torchic. But my, you're having a bit of an off day today, aren't ya?" Torchic looked down in sorrow.

"Hey, it's ok. Everyone has off days once in awhile." Justin said softly. "Torchic...you may be a bit out there, but you're still one of my Pokemon. It's my job to take care of you and help you grow. Now, let's try our best and see if we can win this badge. What do ya say?"

Torchic sorrow then turned into determination. It nodded confidently.

"Go get 'em Torchic!" Aly shouted out. The Pokemon on the sidelines cheered their fellow comrade.

"Remember yesterday with Team Immortal? Let's see if we can get that side of you back!" Justin stated.

"Tor!" Torchic chirped. It then quickly got up from Justin's lap and ran back into the battlefield.

"All right Maggie, let's see what else you got?" Justin called out.

"Oh I'll show you! Monferno, mach punch!" Maggie commanded. Monferno quickly dashed in the direction of Torchic with its fist lit up.

"Torchic, keep calm and let it come towards you!" Justin commanded. Torchic nodded and focused in on the oncoming Monferno. Once it was close enough, Justin quickly reacted.

"Torchic, sand attack!"

Torchic swept its leg up and carried some sand with it. It landed in the face of Monferno, which caused it to stop in its tracks and grab for its face.

"Oh no, Monferno!" Maggie called out.

"Now, use your peck attack!" Justin commanded. Torchic made its beak light up and started to peck away at Monferno. It was a super effective attack which Monferno felt and knocked it to the side.

"All right! Great job Torchic!"

"Hmm, perhaps I underestimated this Pokemon. That won't happen again!" Maggie smirked. "Now, Monferno, get up and use your flame wheel!"

"Monferno!" Monferno cried out. It then somersaulted into a flame wheel and rolled right at Torchic.

"Torchic, get out of the way!" Justin commanded. Torchic started to run to the side, but the flame wheel was too fast and ran into Torchic, sending backwards near Justin. It stayed down for awhile.

"Torchic, c'mon pal! I know you can do it!" Justin called out. Torchic started to slowly get up.

"Justin, you put up a good fight, but it seems my fiery spirit has overcome yours. Its over!" Maggie said.

"No way, I'm not giving up! And neither is Torchic!" Justin shouted.

"Torchic!" Torchic chirped out as it stood back on its feet.

"Wow, you guys sure are something! Man, this a great heated battle!" Maggie remarked

"You betcha. But now, here's the comeback from us!" Justin called out.

"Torchic!" Torchic cried out loudly. It then illuminated brightly until it entire body was surrounded by a white light.

"Wait, what?" Justin stated.

"No way!" Maggie exclaimed.

Justin watched as Torchic's body grew and changed before her eyes. The white light disappeared and a tall, bird like Pokemon with a yellow upper body, orange lower body, grey feet and long claws.

"Com-busken!" the new Pokemon cried out.

"WOW! Torchic evolved into Combusken!" Justin exclaimed. Combusken then got into a fighting stance, raring to go with its opponent.

"Combusken looks tougher and stronger." Aly remarked.

"Whoa, didn't see this coming. But look at that Combusken! Amazing!" Maggie said to herself.

"All right Combusken; let's show these guys what you can do!" Justin said.

"Com-Busk!" Combusken cried out.

"Now, use your ember!"

Combusken leaned back a bit and then shot out an even larger stream of fire from its mouth.

"Wow, that's a more powerful fire attack...must be flamethrower!"

"Monferno, use your flamethrower too!" Maggie commanded.

Monferno released its flamethrower attack as well, colliding with Combusken's. The 2 attacks were fighting each other out as they took turns pushing back and forth. After awhile it was Combusken's flamethrower that pushed back Monferno's and eventually hit the Monkey Pokemon. It created a mini smoke explosion and caused Monferno to be sent backwards.

"Monferno!" Maggie called out. Monferno then slowly got up.

"Ok, use Flame Wheel!"

Monferno surrounded itself in flames and started to somersault on the spot. It then began to roll in the direction of Combusken.

"Combusken, show off your new strength and catch it!" Justin commanded. Combusken focused in on Monferno and positioned itself carefully. Once the flame wheel got close, Combusken quickly moved its arms in together and caught Monferno on the spot in its claws. Monferno began to squirm around in order to free itself.

"Now, use Peck!"

Combusken bobbed itself forward and pecked Monferno hard. It flew backwards but managed to land on its feet.

"Now, let's finish this with a new move. Use Sky Uppercut!" Justin commanded.

"Com-busken!" Combusken cried out. It then ran swiftly towards Monferno with its claws lit up.

"Monferno, use Mach Punch!" Maggie commanded.

"Monferno!" Monferno cried out as it charged towards Combusken with its fist lit up. The 2 Pokemon ran in close and threw their punches. Both attacks met head on, causing a razor wind storm to occur. Everyone in the room braced themselves for the wind by covering their faces with their arms.

Combusken and Monferno weren't giving up and continued to push through with the attacks. After awhile, a smoke explosion was created that blanketed the whole arena. Everyone covered their faces from the black smoke until it subsided. Combusken and Monferno were standing face to face with a good distance apart and a determined look on their face.

"Looks like a draw!" Maggie called out.

"I wouldn't count on it!" Justin smirked. Combusken let out a sneaky smile too.

"Mon..." Monferno softly cried out as it began to fall down. It landed on the ground and let out a faint cry, signalling its defeat.

"Monferno is unable to battle, so Combusken wins! Which means the victory goes to Justin of Revo Town!" the Battle judge announced.

"ALL RIGHT!" Justin shouted as he celebrated joyfully.

"HE DID IT!" Aly remarked as she clasped her hands together. Squirtle and Vulpix began to cheer and jump up and down for joy. Eevee and Mudkip jumped onto the battle field and ran towards Justin. They jumped into his arms and cheered gleefully.

"We did it guys!" Justin said to the 2. He then walked over to Combusken.

"Combusken, you were amazing. Thanks for everything!' Justin said gratefully.

"Com-busken!" Combusken cried out happily.

Maggie walked up to her Monferno and picked it up in her arms.

"Monferno, are you ok?" she asked it.

"Mon...,"Monferno replied weakly.

"You were great Monferno! Your fire has never burned brighter. You deserve a good rest." Maggie said as she brought out its Pokeball and returned her Pokemon. Maggie then walked up to Justin's side.

"Hey Justin." She said. Justin heard her and stood up to face her.

"That was one of the most intense battles I've ever been a part of! Your inner fire burned brightly! It was a battle I'll definitely remember!"

"That means a lot Maggie, thanks." Justin smiled.

"Well, as proof of your victory today, I present you with this Ruby badge." She said as she pulled out a red square badge from her pocket and handed it to him.

"Wow, this is awesome. Thanks Maggie!" Justin took the badge from her hand and showed it to his Pokemon.

"Look guys, we got ourselves a Ruby badge! Isn't this exciting?" He said to his Pokemon. Eevee, Combusken and Mudkip examined the badge and cried out happily. Aly and her 2 Pokemon came down onto the battlefield and walked up to him.

"That was a great battle Justin! Congratulations!" She said to him.

Thanks Aly! It was also thanks to your support that I was able to win!"

* * *

Justin, Aly and Maggie stood outside the gym with Eevee and Squirtle in their usual spots.

"Well Justin, if you're looking for another gym battle, there's one over at Zircon City!" Maggie explained. Aly got out her Poketab to check out the where it was.

"Ok, that's just northwest of here!" Aly exclaimed.

"Yep, you'll be passing by Coppertown first. Then you'll have to hike around Courage Mountain before reaching Zircon city."

"Sounds good!" Justin remarked.

"Well, good luck to you both on your journey! And Justin, keep working hard and you'll be entering the Minero League soon!"

"Thanks a lot Maggie!" Both Justin and Aly responded. They all exchanged farewells before Justin and Aly began to walk away from the gym. They continued down the road towards the end of the city and entrance of West Route 402.

"Well, we got stopped Team Immortal, got our Poke-Tabs and you won your gym badge! I'd say it was a pretty eventful stay here!" Aly exclaimed.

"Tell me about it! But now, we got to move on. C'mon, let's get a move on!" Justin cried out as he began to run down the road.

"HEY! WAIT FOR ME!" Aly called out as she chased after him. Both trainers ready to face the new challenges that await them.

_**A/N: A thank you to those who continue to read my story. I realize I may not be the best writer, but I'm trying to become a better one with each chapter I write. **__**Hope you're enjoying it as much as I enjoy writing it!**_


	13. Chapter 13 - A Shocking Experience

**Chapter 13: A Shocking Experience**

Justin and Aly peacefully sat on the ground under a white picnic cloth while eating food they bought from Ruby City. Eevee, Squirtle, Combusken, Mudkip and Vulpix sat on another cloth beside their trainers and ate their food as well.

"Man, we've been through a lot the few weeks we've been travelling together eh?" Justin asked.

"I know! We got some new Pokemon, met some new people, encountered Team Immortal unfortunately, and much more. And we've only explored a small bit of Minero!" Aly remarked.

"Yep, I'm already a quarter of the way there until the Minero League! 2 down, 6 more to go!"

"Well, I guess we should get going now. According to the Map on my PokeTab, there's a Pokemon Centre down this road. If we walk now, we should reach there in about half an hour."

Justin and Aly finished their meals, folded the cloths and packed their bags. Justin and Aly recalled their Pokemon to their Pokeballs except for Eevee and Squirtle, who went to their respective trainers. Once ready, they got back on the path. Route 402 wasn't any different from what they've been seeing in Minero so far. There was however less grass then before and more dirt in the open areas. It was a little cooler today with a brisk wind blowing in the air. Justin was fine thanks to his grey jacket while Aly put on a black hoodie she had in her bag. Eevee and Squirtle decided to walk ahead rather than in their usual places.

"Do you know what kind of wild Pokemon are around here?" Justin curiously asked.

"The Pokedex said there were Swablus, Elekids, Shinxs, and Electrikes here." Aly replied.

"That's a lot of electric type Pokemon...I THINK I'M GOING TO CATCH ONE!" Justin shouted the last bit out loud. Aly, Eevee and Squirtle covered their ears because of the high volume.

"One, do you have to be so loud? And two, we don't have any Pokeballs on us because YOU forgot to buy them when we went shopping."

"I can't help it that I get loud when I'm exci-...Wait, we're out of Pokeballs?" Justin's eyes began to let out tears as he dropped to his knees with his head sulked.

"Eevee, once again, your trainer is so dramatic." Aly noted.

"Vuie..." Eevee shook its head in disbelief.

Just then, there was the sound of footsteps behind the group. Justin and Aly looked around to see who it was. It was a familiar face, much to Justin's and Eevee's dismay.

"... It's Ron." Justin stated. Eevee stood in its place and just looked at Ron, rather than running back to its trainer, frightened like last time.

"Oh great...it's you guys again." He remarked coldly. He then caught the sight of Eevee below Justin.

"...So, you're still with that Eevee huh? I guess you're not a good learner." Eevee shot an irritated look at him. Justin walked up to Eevee and picked it up in his arms.

"I already told you, Eevee is a great Pokemon. She's works hard and is always ready to battle."

"Really now. Seeing you being soft with your Pokemon shows how hopeless you are."

"Why you..." Justin growled angrily at Ron. He raised his fist, ready to fight before feeling Aly's hand on his shoulder. He turned towards her and watched her shake her head, telling him not to get worked up. He smiled at her and released his tension.

"Why do you have such a cynical outlook on Pokemon? I don't get it...did something happen to you before?" Justin asked.

"That's none of your business..." Ron shot back harshly. Justin and Aly jolted a bit from his tone.

"I think we hit a nerve..." Aly said.

"How many badges to you have?" Ron asked nonchalantly.

"Me?" Justin answered.

"No, you're sister. Of course you!"

"Oh yeah, my bad hahaha" Justin began to laugh a bit, putting on a happier expression. Aly and Squirtle sighed in disbelief while Ron got even more irritated than he already was. "I have 2 badges! You?"

"Same here... why don't we battle to find out who's stronger?" Ron asked while taking a Pokeball from his belt.

"Sure! We're always up for a battle. Right, Eevee?" Justin said while looking down at Eevee. Eevee smiled and nodded back at him.

"So you're battling with that thing again? It'll end the same way it did last time." Ron remarked as he walked back to give distance for the battle. Eevee ran in front and got into a stance ready for battle.

"We'll see about that. Eevee is much stronger from the last time we faced off!" Justin cried out. Eevee backed its trainer up with a battle cry.

"I could say the same for my Pokemon. Magby, prepare yourself for battle!" Ron shouted out as he threw his Pokemon in the air and released his Magby.

"Mag-by!" It cried out while shooting flames in the air.

"Wow, your Magby looks even stronger. Can't wait to face it!" Justin exclaimed.

"Ugh...let's just battle now! Magby, use your-"

Ron was interrupted by a loud boom noise. It was so loud that it shook the ground, causing everyone to stumble in their place.

"What was that?" Aly gasped. Dark thunder clouds formed in the sky as thunder rumbled above.

"Weird. I know it was cool outside...but it doesn't suddenly turn into this weather." Justin remarked. It was then that a yellow lightning bolt came from the sky and struck the middle of the battle area. Its impact created a strong wind that sent Magby, Ron, Eevee and Justin backwards. Ron and Magby landed on their feet while the other pair landed on their butts.

"Well, this was certainly unexpected," Ron remarked nonchalantly.

"Hey Ron, I think we need to call off our battle for now. We need to find a place to settle for now until this storm passes. Come with us for now." Justin called out.

"Fine..." Ron returned Magby to its Pokeball and then followed Justin and Aly to find someplace safe from the incoming storm. Eevee and Squirtle went back to their respective trainers as well. As they ran, Aly spotted something to her right. It caused her to stop in her tracks and look. Justin and Ron stopped behind her.

"What is it Aly?" Justin asked.

"...Look...Look there..." Aly replied as she pointed to her right, shaking in disbelief. Justin and Ron looked in the same direction and gasped. Spotted was a yellow tiger-like Pokemon that had a dark grey cloud-like mane and large white fangs.

"That's...that's..." Justin quickly took out his Pokedex.

"_**Raikou, the Thunder Pokemon. **__**It is said to have fallen with lightning. It can fire thunderbolts from the rain clouds on its back." **_The Pokedex stated.

"The legendary Pokemon, Raikou! One of the three legendary dogs! HOW COOL IS THIS!" Justin exclaimed.

"But wait...what's one doing here?" Aly wondered.

They then heard a motor noise coming from the distance. Raikou heard it and quickly fled the scene. A large jeep was coming down the dirt path. In the jeep were 2 figures that were dressed in black suits and wore shades. The vehicle zoomed right past Justin, Aly and Ron in a different direction that of Raikou's.

"I wonder what that was about. If they're chasing Raikou, they totally slipped." Justin said. The thunder clouds soon dissipated. Just then, another jeep came from the distance and drove in the group's direction. The driver stopped the vehicle near the group and looked out of the window using binoculars.

"Crap. I lost them..." The driver muttered. It was a man with a strong build wearing a blue sleeveless shirt. He then caught sight of the group and got out of his car to talk to them.

"Excuse me kids, have you seen a Raikou around?"

"Um, yeah...it was here like a minute ago. Another group of people came around too. It looked like they were chasing it, but went a completely different direction from where Raikou ran." Aly explained.

"Really? Well, it is them, so I guess we're ok for now." The guy chuckled before receiving a call from his walky-talky.

"Sir, we can confirm the bandits are no longer a threat to us for now. We'll update you later." The walky-talky stated.

"Sounds good. Good work!" The guy then put away his communication device.

"What was that all about?" Ron asked.

"Well, you see, this part of route 402 is home to a unique phenomenon called the Lightning Renewal. Every year around this time, lightning bolts strike down in a specific area of this route. Being part of the Electric Pokemon Protection Squad, EPPS, we thought we can utilize this event to help absorb some of the lightning and use it as a way for the wild electric type Pokemon to regain some energy and strength."

"Electric Pokemon Protection Squad?" Justin asked.

"Yes sir! My name is Darrell and I'm a chief officer of this institution. We're pretty well known around the Minero region. And with this area inhabited with many electric type Pokemon, we thought it would be good to set up a base in this area."

"Nice to meet you! My name is Aly!" Aly responded

"My name is Justin Riser!" Justin introduced himself.

"My name is Ron, nice to meet you." Ron stated. Justin and Aly looked at each other in disbelief of Ron's sudden politeness.

"So, Darrell, how is it that you use control this lightning?" Justin asked.

"Right! We were able to set up a bunch of different mechanisms so we can draw the lightning to one place, absorb it into a giant machine, and then create a pathway for it to safely transfer into a Pokémon's body, restoring their energy!" Darrell explained.

"That's awesome what you guys are doing!" Aly exclaimed.

"We usually get the normal electric type Pokemon around here, like the Elekids, Electrikes and Shinxs. We also open it to the public where trainers who have electric type Pokemon can use some of the machine's absorbed electricity to give their Pokemon and restore their juice. And of course, a Raikou started coming here too. It comes every now and then so were both familiar with each other. But, recently there have been some thieves who are after this Raikou so they can capture it for their own greedy reasons." Darrell added.

"Shouldn't you be after them?" Ron asked.

"Well...here's the thing. Those bandits...aren't exactly the brightest. We've run into them a few times before, but had no problem dealing with them. Half the time it's because they screw up. So, the fact they took a wrong direction doesn't surprise me!"

"Oh...kay..." Justin responded.

"Sounds a lot like you," Ron taunted at him.

"What did you say?!" Justin growled back. Ron just crossed his arms and looked the other way. Aly, Eevee and Squirtle all let out a sigh.

"I'm going to guess these 2 don't like each other much." Darrell asked Aly quietly.

"Well...they've been through quite a bit." Aly explained. Just then, Darrell's walky-talky rang.

"Darrell here!" He said as he picked up the device.

"Sir! The thieves are onto us again. Plus, Raikou is at the healing grounds and they know it's there! We need you to move out!" The voice stated.

"Done! On my way!" Darrell put his walky-talky back in his chest pocket. "I'm sorry kids, but that's my cue to go right now. Gotta do something about those thieves! Hahaha" He cried out chuckling.

"Excuse me Darrell...but, we'd like to help!" Aly exclaimed.

"What?"

"Yeah. Aly and I think it's awesome what you're doing. We don't want any disturbance with what the EPPS has going on now! We can help if you let us!" Justin explained.

"Hmmm...ah, what the heck. These criminals aren't that bright anyway, so they won't pose that much of a threat! You kids seem cool, so why not!" Darrell said in a rather cheerful voice. The 3 began to walk towards the jeep.

"Ron, you coming?" Justin stopped to ask. Ron just stood there for a moment to think.

"...I guess. It's not every day you get the chance to see a Raikou." Ryan stated.

All 4 of them hopped into the jeep and Darrel began to drive to the left. Darrell was driving faster than usual, which made the ride a little bumpy. Aly sat shotgun while Justin and Ron were in the backseat. All 3 of them held onto the sides of the car and their seatbelts. Eevee and Squirtle were on their trainer's laps, holding on to them for dear life. Darrell took a shortcut and drove into a nearby forest, which made the ride even more uneasy and rambunctious. There were a couple of close calls where Darrell drove into trees or logs. It wasn't long before they arrived back into the open dirt path.

"Uh, are you sure you should be driving this fast?!" Aly asked nervously.

"Well...we want to catch those thieves! Besides, this is fun! WOOHOO!" Darrell cried out cheerfully. After 10 minutes of a rather adventurous ride, they finally arrived at their destination. In the middle of nowhere, there was a tall, fully established building with glass windows and doors. Darrell parked the jeep right in front of the doors and the group quickly got out of the jeep. Eevee got back on Justin's shoulder while Aly carried Squirtle in her arms again.

"This is our main Route 402 headquarters. Inside are our research units, the healing grounds where electric Pokemon come, and much more! But, you'll get the full tour later. Right now we have to stop these thieves!" Darrell explained.

"Well, we better hurry. Because it seems the thieves are already inside." Aly mentioned as she pointed towards another vehicle to the right. Thunder became to rumble in the sky.

"And judging from the thunder clouds above, it seems Raikou is here as well." Justin said.

"Ee-vuie!' Eevee added.

"All right kids! Time to move out! HOO-HAA!" Darrell grunted loudly as he began to run through the main entrance. Justin, Aly and Ron followed in behind him. Once they entered the building, inside was a horrific sight. The main lobby looked like a hurricane past through as everything from furniture, paper work and interior decor were all over the place. There was someone in a white lab coat sitting up against the wall looking worn out. The group ran up to him.

"Brother, what happened here?" Darrell asked.

"...murgh...Oh, Mr. Darrell! It's just awful. Those thieves are at it again. But this time, they surprised us big time. They brought along 2 other companions who are really strong and cunning. They demolished us in Pokemon battles and made a mess of the place. Please...you gotta stop them! Their plan is to steal some of the energy from the Lighting Renewal Bolts! Plus...Raikou is here...so they might try to steal it too..." the man said as he coughed heavily.

"Just take it easy soldier. I'm on the case. Just get the police to come here!"

"Done...good luck sir..." The man slowly got up and walked towards the main telephone against the wall.

"All righty kids. I hope you're all experienced battlers, because we're about to get our hands dirty down there! ARE YA WITH ME?!" Darrell shouted out.

Justin, Aly and Ron covered their ears to protect their ears from the loud shouting.

"Umm, you didn't have to shout that. We're right here..." Aly remarked with sass.

"Sorry...habit! I'm just always so energetic!" Darrell chuckled heavily. "ALL RIGHT TROOPS! FOLLOW ME!" The group, led by Darrell continued into the building to the healing grounds.

The group ran up a few flights of stairs towards the roof, reaching the healing grounds. The area was massive with a lot of open space. It was marble flooring in the centre surrounded artificial grass turf. In the middle, there were 4 tall pointed metal prisms that extended probably about 50 feet into the sky. There were also stairs that lead up a platform about 2 feet off the marble floor with desks, computers and other machines to work the mechanism around it. On that platform, the group saw the Raikou from before.

"Look, its Raikou!" Aly exclaimed.

"Well...it sure got onto the conducting platform fast," Darrell remarked.

"Conducting platform?"

"Yeah. The tall metal prisms help absorb the lightning from the sky. It then transfers it to that conducting platform where electric type Pokemon stand on. From there, we can monitor the amount of electricity gets absorbed by them!"

"Wow...that's pretty neat!" Justin exclaimed.

"Hehehe...yes. And it will be even better once the energy is all ours!" A voice snickered in the area. Justin, Aly, Ryan and Darrell looked around to see where that voice came from. A group of 4 people, 3 men and 1 woman, came from the bushes at the far end of the area. 2 of the men were dressed in black suits and seemed to be the ones Justin, Aly and Ryan saw in the jeep before. The other 2 were also dressed in black suits, but had short white capes tied around their necks.

"Well, if it isn't my dudes Donny and Ralph! Do we really need to cause trouble here?" Darrell asked calmly.

"C'mon man, you know how much energy is a lightning bolt! Imagine what we could do with all that! Man, the possibilities are endless!" Ralph giggled.

"Plus, we're going to steal Raikou. It's a Freaking Raikou dude!" Donny added

"I see...well, it's still wrong to steal from people you know. Now, I see you were able to get past all of our staff. Normally, with yours and Donny's skill, that would be impossible. But, it seems you brought some new friends to the party."

"I sense an insult in that comment. You guys just got lucky all those other times. But, I guess you can say these guys helped. It was Ralph and I doing all the work though. Sure, they cleared through all the people below...but we were telling them what to do the whole time. So, it's still us getting the credit!" Donny exclaimed. The other man and woman just looked at each other, and smirked. Donny and Ralph looked behind themselves.

"You people have a problem with our assessment?!" Ralph shot back.

"Heh, you guys are as dumb as always..." the woman taunted.

"UGHH! Whatever, Me and Ralph will do the harder work and deal with Mr Darrell-SHmarrell over here. You guys get that Raikou and absorb all the energy from the lightning bolt stored in those machines!" Donny commanded.

"Heh, sure thing boss," The shady man remarked sarcastically. Just after, the 2 started running towards the healing grounds platform.

"Oh no you don't!" Darrell cried out as he started to chase them. Just then, 2 Pokeballs appeared right in front of him. They opened and released 2 Pokemon. One was a spider-like Pokemon a red body with black stripes and yellow legs with blue stripes. Another was a dark green dragonfly-like Pokemon with red eyes and 4 white wings.

"Yan-Yan!" The second Pokemon cried out.

"Ari-Ari!" The first one cried out. It was a Yanmega and Ariados.

"Heh, you're not giving me much a choice eh? All right. I'll take you guys on!" Darrell smirked.

"Darrell! We'll help you!" Justin called out. He, Ron and Aly began running towards him.

"No need to worry kids!" Darrell said raising his hand, signalling them to stop. "These guys are a piece of cake. What worries me more are those 2 other shady characters. I'm going to be a little busy here so I'm counting on you 2 to help me stop the other 2."

"Well...are you sure?"

"We better do what he says. Otherwise, no one is going to stop the other people." Aly remarked.

"Good luck you guys! I know we just met, and I'm asking y'all to do such a huge favour. Hey, drinks on me if we manage to get through this thing!" Darrell smiled.

"Umm...we're not of age to drink yet..." Justin muttered.

"Oh...fine, ice cream, whatever! Just stop those other guys!" Darrell gave thumbs up before turning around to face Ralph and Donny.

"You guys better keep up," Ron remarked as he began running after the other 2 thieves. Justin and Aly followed right behind him.

* * *

"All right Kylie... It's just us and that Raikou. Once we nab it, we book it out of here. Are you ready?"

"Ready Stark!"

The shady man and woman got ready to ambush the legendary dog. Raikou was relaxing on the healing platform, absorbing some of the energy from the Lightning Renewal's lightning bolt. They charged towards the platform and ran right up to Raikou. Kylie then tossed a metal circular mechanism as Raikou. Just before hitting it, it expanded, enclosed Raikou in a clear, red rectangular prism. Raikou opened its eyes to see it was now surrounded in a red light. It quickly got up and raised its paw to touch it. After making contact, a blue shock wave came about and caused Raikou to suffer some pain. It then roared loudly and stared at Kylie and Stark.

"Well, that was easy." Stark smirked.

"HEY! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU"RE DOING!?" a voice came from the distance. They both looked back to see Justin, Aly and Ron running in their direction.

"What does it look like? We're stealing Raikou." Kylie remarked.

"We're Pokemon hunters. We find rare and valuable Pokemon and then sell them to the highest bidder!" Stark explained.

"What? That's just not right!" Justin cried out.

"Look punk. We do what we want with Pokemon. You kids are annoying me now. Go Vigoroth!" Stark threw a Pokeball into the air. Out came a white sloth-like Pokemon with red fur on its forehead.

"Go Liepard!" Kylie shouted as she threw her Pokeball. Out came a purple feline-like Pokemon with yellow rosettes over its body.

"All right, then we'll battle too!" Justin called out. "Eevee, you're up!"

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out as it jumped from Justin's shoulder onto the ground and into battle.

"Aly, Ron and I will distract these 2. Given the opportunity, go see if you can help Raikou at all." Justin suggested.

"Sounds good. Good luck." Aly replied as she swiftly ran the other way out of sight.

"Hey Ron! What do you say to a little tag battle?" Justin asked.

"I'll handle these 2 on my own." Ron shot back as he released his Magby from its Pokeball

"C'mon man, we gotta work together!"

"Don't get in my way." Justin gave Ron a frustrated look.

"Wow, have you ever seen a better team? Haha! Vigoroth, use fury swipes on that Eevee!" Stark commanded.

"VI-GO-ROTH!" Vigoroth roared as its claws lit up and charged straight towards Eevee.

"Eevee, counter it with Iron Tail!" Justin commanded.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out as it jumped up in the air, lit its tail up, and whipped it towards the oncoming claws. Both attacks collided, but Vigoroth was more powerful and it sent Eevee backwards towards Justin onto the ground.

"You ok pal?" Justin asked. Eevee got up quickly and nodded.

"That's good to hear. But damn...that's a powerful Vigoroth! So cool!" Justin remarked in awe. Eevee looked back at its trainer to see he was distracted again.

"Liepard, use take down on Eevee now!" Kylie commanded.

"Pard!" Liepard growled as it quickly jumped up in the air and went straight towards a vulnerable Eevee.

"Flamethrower!" Ron commanded.

"Mag!" Magby cried out as it jumped shot a stream of fire right at Liepard before it reached a falling Eevee. Justin's attention shifted back onto the battle as he read what just happened.

"Wow, Thanks bud!" Justin shouted out.

"Why don't you keep focused, all right?" Ron retorted back.

* * *

"Hmm, they seemed distracted. Now's my chance." Aly said quietly from a distance. She made a loop around the battle area, passing behind Stark and Kylie and near the platform. Aly approached the healing platform where Raikou was tackling the sides of the red prism trap.

"Don't worry Raikou; I'll help you get out of here!" Aly shouted. Raikou shifted its focus to the girl on the outside of the trap. Aly threw out her Pokeball and out came Vulpix.

"Squirtle, use you water gun. Vulpix, use flamethrower." Aly commanded.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out as it released a jet of water at the red prism.

"Vul!" Vulpix cried out as it let out its flamethrower at the trap as well. Both attacks collided with the orb, but were repelled to the side.

"We have to keep trying!" Aly remarked. Both Pokemon nodded as they kept up their attacks. Raikou's eyes widened as it saw their efforts.

"It'll be ok Raikou. Justin, Ron, and I are going help you out."

Raikou glanced over and observed Justin and Ron, who were battling alongside their Pokemon to fend off the Pokemon Hunters.

* * *

"Vigoroth, use slash on Eevee!" Stark commanded.

"Eevee, use dig!" Justin commanded. Eevee dug a hole underground just before Vigoroth sliced it with its claws.

"Magby, flamethrower on Vigoroth!" Ryan commanded. Magby released a stream of fire at Vigoroth. Vigoroth tried to dodge the attack, but failed and was hit and knocked on the ground.

"Liepard now! Use Shadow claw!" Kylie commanded. Right behind Magby appeared Liepard with a black claw of energy formed on its paw, ready to swipe at Magby.

"Magby, use your smokes-"

"Now Eevee, dig on Liepard!" Justin shouted, cancelling Ron's attack. Eevee came up from underground right under Liepard, sending it upwards to the sky. It eventually fell back down and landed hard on the ground.

"All right Eevee!" Justin cried out, giving a thumbs up. Eevee looked back and smiled at its trainer. Right after that, Vigoroth appeared out of nowhere in front of Eevee, and hit it with a slash attack. This sent Eevee flying sideways where it landed hard on the ground.

"Eevee!" Justin called out.

"Now Vigoroth, finish this up with brick break!" Stark commanded. Vigoroth's paws lit up and dashed towards Eevee.

"Magby, Faint Attack!" Ron commanded. With a burst of speed, Magby intercepted Vigoroth and sucker punched it across the face, saving Eevee.

"Wow...that was a close one. Thanks again Ron!" Justin remarked.

"What's with you?! You get distracted way too easily, which shows you're not completely focused on this battle. This is exactly why you're not strong. You're bad habits and so called choice of a Pokemon, named Eevee, are going make us lose!" Ron shouted, who was clearly mad.

"Bro, chill out. One, don't blame this on Eevee! Maybe I've been in a little unfocused this battle and may not be as strong as you. I'm sorry. I'll try to be better from now on. All right?!"

"Hmph, just leave the rest to me..." Ron looked back onto the battlefield.

"This is why I work alone. Nothing good ever comes from relying on people..." He said under his breath.

"Wow, these 2 REALLY don't get a long, eh Kylie?" Stark asked his partner.

"Oh, there's some beef all right. It's kind of amusing." Kylie smirked. She then heard a voice come from behind her. She turned around to see Aly with her Pokemon trying to break the prism trap.

"That girl must be stopped! Ariados! Psybeam!" Kylie threw a Pokeball in Aly's direction that released a red spider-like Pokemon with black stripes and a unhappy face on its back. It shot out a colourful beam of psychic energy from its pincers towards Aly and her Pokemon.

"Aly watch out!" Justin called out. Aly quickly turned around only for her and her Pokemon to be hit by the attack. They were all sent backwards, hitting against the red prism trap before landing on the ground.

"Oh no, Aly! Are you all right?!" Aly slowly got onto her knees and nodded weakly. Justin and Eevee started to run towards her.

"RAI!" Raikou roared angrily at what just happened. Justin, Aly, Ron, Stark, Kylie and all the Pokemon turned their attention to Raikou. It roared again loudly and formed a mini thunder cloud above the prism trap. Blue lightning bolts began to spark around that cloud. Raikou then released a powerful Thunder attack down on the red prism, which seemed to be penetrating the trap's defenses. A few moments after attacking, a giant smoke explosion occurred, which shook the entire building. Everyone covered their faces with their arms to avoid the smoke and held their position. Once everything subsided, they all opened their eyes to see Raikou standing beside Aly.

"Raikou! You're ok!" Aly cried out happily. Squirtle and Vulpix cheered in celebration. Raikou nodded at the trainer and then shifted its attention to the battle. It walked over to the battle area and stopped in front of an incoming Justin.

"Nice job Raikou! You got out of the trap!" Justin exclaimed.

"What?! This is impossible!" Stark exclaimed.

"No Pokemon could ever break that mechanism!" Kylie added. Aly tried to stand up but kneeled back down, holding her arm as it were in pain.

"ALY!" Justin called out as he and Eevee ran towards their friend. Ron recalled his Magby followed behind them. The 2 trainers reached her position where Justin kneeled down to Aly's level.

"Aly, are you all right?" Justin asked with deep concern.

"Yeah...I'll be fine...but look, we were able to get Raikou out..." Aly said weakly.

"Well, I'm just glad you're all right. Rest easy now; we'll get you some help later." Ron finally caught up to the two.

"You both should take a look. Things are about to get interesting." Ron exclaimed. The group then looked on. Raikou roared loudly as it began to create a thunder cloud above its head. Stark and Kylie took a small step backwards in fear.

"Vigoroth, Focus Blast!" Stark commanded.

"Liepard, shadow ball! Ariados, Psybeam!" Kylie commanded. All 3 Pokemon shot their special attacks together at Raikou. Raikou launched a powerful thunder attack right back. The attacks collided and were pushing against each other, but Raikou's attack ultimately broke through and hit both the hunters Pokemon, making them unable to battle.

"WHAT! IMPOSSIBLE!" Stark exclaimed. They both returned their Pokemon back to their Pokeballs.

"Well, we still got these gadgets here!" Kylie shouted as she threw some trapping mechanisms at Raikou. They failed however as Raikou zapped them with thunder and caused them to be useless.

"Kylie, I think we best be getting out of here!" Stark suggested.

"Agreed. Let's go!" Kylie added. Just as they turned around to run, they stopped in their tracks. Behind them was a familiar man carrying 2 other guys, Ralph and Donny, with his arms.

"Whoa guys. No need to rush out of here so soon!" Darrell said calmly. He then dropped Ralph and Donny on the floor. Both of them were knocked out.

"Darrell! You're ok!" Aly called out.

"Yep! It did take a little longer than usual. But, like I said, piece of cake with these guys! And I see you guys saved Raikou and helped put a stop to these hunters. I must say I'm impressed."

"You'll never contain us!" Stark shouted. He and Kylie then ran towards the left entrance. Raikou jumped up into the air and landed right in front of the hunters, roaring at them loudly. Stark and Kylie turned around to run the other way, but were stopped by another person in blue, Officer Jenny.

* * *

The police force arrived at the healing grounds, taking the hunters, Ralph and Donny into custody. All of the employees injured from the attacks were being treated by the medical staff. Aly was getting treated herself with bandages around her arm. She was walking around seeing how the employees were doing and assisting the medical staff administer employees their treatment as well. Raikou was back on the healing platform recharging its energy.

"Wow, this sure was an interesting day," Darrell remarked.

"At least the Healing Grounds is safe again. And so is Raikou!" Justin replied.

"Yep, and I have all 3 of you guys to thank!"

"Raikou is really the one to credit. Glad to know everything is normal." Ron remarked. Aly then made her way back towards the 3 of them.

"How's your arm?" Justin asked.

"Well, it still hurts. But they said it should be fine by tomorrow!" Aly remarked

"That's good to hear."

"I see you were helping around with the other employee's treatment. You sure have a good heart!" Darrel exclaimed happily.

"Oh...well you know. I just want to make sure everyone, people and Pokemon, are in good health." Aly smiled.

* * *

"Well I guess we're all off now!" Justin said. He, Aly and Ron were standing outside the EPPS headquarters entrance with Darrell. Eevee and Squirtle were both back in their respective positions with their trainers. The sun was starting to set with the sky being a yellow orange colour.

"I can't thank you kids enough for all of your help today. If you're ever in the neighbourhood again, stop by and say hello!" Darrell stated.

"No problem, glad we can all help!" Aly exclaimed happily.

"See you later!" Justin said as he, Aly and Ron turned around to walk the other way. Darrell waved at them until they were no longer in his sight. The 3 reached a fork in the road that led to 2 different directions. Ron started to walk towards the path on the right without saying goodbye.

"Hey Ron..." Justin said. Ron stopped in his tracks after hearing Justin.

"Thanks for your help today. I know I'm still not as good as you...but I'm going to train hard. And next time we battle, I'm going to win!" Ron just kept still and didn't reply right away. A few moments later, he broke the silence.

"You still have a long way to go." With that, Ron continued to walk down the path. Justin and Aly watched him go until he was barely visible.

"He was kind of rude to you during that battle, wasn't he?" Aly asked.

"Well, I guess. But there's one thing I know for sure. He's still a better trainer than me now. But, that only motivates me to train harder and beat him next time!" Justin exclaimed.

"I know you'll do great!" Aly replied happily.

"Thanks!"

The 2 continued their conversation while walking down the chosen path. In the distance, above on a high mountain, was a familiar yellow beast Pokemon, watching them walk into the distance and towards their goals.


	14. Chapter 14 - Poffin Class Confusion

_**A/N: If you've watched/read shoujo anime/manga before, you'll probably see some of it in this chapter lol. **_

**Chapter 14: Poffin Class Confusion**

"Well, we totally missed our goal of making it to Copper Town before nightfall...and it's already dark outside." Aly sighed as she and Justin walked down Route 402's dirt path.

"It's not like we're in a race against time." Justin replied.

"Yeah...but I don't want to sleep outside. I want the Pokemon Centre's nice beds, with a hot shower, good food and electricity."

"Sorry to interrupt princess, but there's something you should see." Justin pointed at a sign to their left that read "Welcome to Copper Town!"

"I'm not sure which map you were looking at, but it appears we're at Copper Town now..."

"YES! That means another night with sleep on a bed!" Aly cheered. Justin, Eevee on his shoulder, and Squirtle in Aly's arms looked at her with a confused expression before continuing. It was evening time and they had just arrived in Copper Town. It was a smaller area with a lot of mid-sized residential houses around. The streetlights positioned on the sides of the street made the atmosphere feel warm and friendly. There were a couple of people outside that ranged from young couples, to families with small children, taking walks with Pokemon. Justin and Aly kept walking down the path until they caught sight of a Pokemon Centre down a few blocks. The 2 trainers then made their way towards it and went through its entrance. It was a pretty standard Pokemon Centre layout on the inside, with Nurse Joy right behind the front counter.

"Hi Nurse Joy! Do you think you could take a look at our Pokemon?" Justin asked. He had Mudkip's and Combusken's Pokeballs in his hands.

"Why of course. I'd be happy too!' Nurse Joy said happily. She then pressed a button on her desk and almost immediately a Chansey walked through the side doors with a cart. Justin and Aly placed their Pokeballs on the cart while Eevee and Squirtle sat next to them.

"I'll see ya soon pal!" Justin said to Eevee

"Ee-vuie!" his Pokemon cried out.

"Be good now Squirtle." Aly said to Squirtle.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out. Chansey then rolled the cart through the side doors for their healing and checkups. Justin then noticed something posted on the wall behind Nurse Joy.

"Hey Aly, take a look at that." He said to Aly. The both examined the posted flyer on the wall. It read "Poffin Cooking Course held at 9pm."

"Wow! A Poffin Cooking class!" Aly exclaimed.

"What's a poffin?" Justin asked naively.

"They're like treats for Pokemon in a shape of a biscuit. Although, Harry from Amethyst City said that some Pokemon Coordinators make them to increase certain conditions of Pokemon. You make them with certain berries that give it its flavour! Plus, who doesn't like cooking?"

"That's neat! Hey, you should join it!"

"You think?"

"Sure! It will help us make specific healthy food for our Pokemon they way they like it." Justin explained.

"Hmmm...I guess you're right!" Aly responded. "Hey, do it with me!"

"ME?! But...I'm a mess in the kitchen..." Justin stuttered.

"Oh c'mon. I don't want to do this alone...won't you please?" Aly made her best puppy face at him. Justin looked on as his face turned a little red.

"But...I...OK, OK fine. I'll do it too." He remarked, turning the other way and crossing his arms.

"Yay!" Aly cheered happily as she clasped her hands together. "Nurse Joy, we'd both like to sign up for that Cooking Class!"

"Glad to hear! It'll be held in the main kitchen area at 9 o'clock. Grab a bite and settle down for a bit first!" Nurse Joy responded.

* * *

Justin and Aly got all their Pokemon back a little while later and headed for the main dining area. Justin and Aly had the dinner special while they let out all their Pokemon to eat some food as well. After finishing their food, they all made their way to the trainer's lounge. There were a couple other people present in the room with their Pokemon out as well. Justin observed around the area when he caught a glimpse of something.

"Hey, there's a video phone! I'm going to make a call!" Justin exclaimed.

"Sure, no problem! I'll wait here." Aly said. Justin and his Pokemon walked to the video phone station. Justin dialed a number into the number pad and waited a few rings before seeing a familiar face on screen.

"Professor Rose! It's me, Justin Riser!" Justin exclaimed.

"Justin! Wow, this is a surprise! How have you been? How's your travels!" Professor Rose asked.

"This journey has been amazing so far. I've run into many types of Pokemon, met many different people, and just been having a good all round experience!"

"I'm glad to hear it. Oh, how's Eevee doing?"

"Eevee's great. Just say hi to her!" Justin exclaimed. Eevee appeared once again on screen and cried out in its respective tongue.

"Hi Eevee! Good to see you. Have you caught any other new Pokemon Justin?"

"Yep! A Combusken and Mudkip! Combusken was originally a Torchic, but evolved during my gym battle in Ruby City. I have 2 gym badges so far and heading to Zircon City for my next."

"I see. Well good luck, I'm sure you'll be just fine!" Professor Rose smiled. "Anyways, I gotta go right now. I'll talk to you again Justin. Safe travels!"

"Thanks, Bye Professor!" Justin said just before hanging up his second call. He then turned around to find Aly but didn't find her in the seat he left her in. He looked around to see her at the video call machine 3 stalls away from him. Justin walked over to her stall and saw a woman who resembled Aly a little with short blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Don't worry Mom, I'm fine. Nothing serious has come up yet." Aly said.

"Are you sure honey? Because you know if -...oh, who's this?" Aly's mother asked. Aly turned around to see Justin standing right behind her. She was startled and jolted up.

"JUSTIN! DON"T SNEAK BEHIND ME!" She shouted as she hit him on the head. Everyone else in the area looked on at the 2 trainers.

"OWW! Hey, I'm sorry! Gosh, didn't have to hit me that hard." Justin moaned, rubbing his head.

"Aly?" Aly's mom interrupted.

"...Oh right! This is Justin Riser! He's the first friend I made here in Minero. We've been travelling together for quite some time now." Aly explained.

"It's nice to meet you ma'am." Justin said as he smiled and waved.

"It's nice to meet you too Justin. Say Aly, I think you did well with this one." Her mom giggled. Aly's face turned really red after that comment.

"MOM! STOP IT!" Aly yelled.

"Relax! Well, I should let you kids go. Justin, you take care of her! Remember Aly, anything serious happens, call us...good luck with your journey." Aly's mom ended the call after that.

"By the way, what were you guys talking about earl-" Justin remarked before catching a glimpse of the time. "Aly! Its 8:50pm, we should head to the main kitchen area now!"

* * *

"All Right! Thanks for participating in tonight's Poffin-Making class! Now everyone get to a station." Nurse Joy announced. Justin and Aly were with about 5 other trainers who were all female in the Pokemon Centre's main kitchen area. They each got to a desk station where there were many different types of berries and kitchenware.

"As you all can see, there are many different kinds of berries at your station. They range from Oran berries, to Cheri berries, to Pecha berries, to much more. Mixing and matching berries together will give each Poffin their unique flavour. Remember that different Pokemon like different types of flavours. It's all about practising to make the poffins your Pokemon will enjoy most." Nurse Joy explained. "Now, grab a few berries and cut them up into small pieces using the cutting boards and knifes to your left."

Justin and Aly both placed their cutting boards in front of them and grabbed their knives on the side. Eevee and Squirtle sat on the table to the left of their respective trainer's cutting board.

"Hmmm...Which berries should I take?" Aly said to herself.

"If you need help deciding, check the manual I've placed at your station. It tells you what kinds of berries give a certain flavour." Nurse Joy pointed out. Aly grabbed her book and flipped through the first few pages.

"**For a sweet flavour, pecha berries, perism berries and bluk berries are suggested," **The book stated.

"Hmm, maybe I'll be safe and make some sweet poffins. Everyone loves sweets!" Aly said happily. She then got grabbed some pecha and perism berries and cut them into smaller pieces using the knife. She seemed to have finished a little early as the other trainers where either cutting or still deciding on flavours. She then turned over to Justin, who was cutting his berries.

"Hey Justin! Which flavours are you going for?" She asked him.

"Ummm...I'm not sure. I guess I'll just do random selection for a big surprise!" Justin exclaimed.

"Ee-vy!?" Eevee cried out, who seemed nervous.

"C'mon Eevee, you gotta be adventurous!" Justin smiled at his Pokemon. Eevee put on a concerned expression after that remark.

"Anyways..." She quickly got back to her station. Nurse Joy was ready to move on.

"All right, now that you have your berries all chopped up, turn on the stove to a medium fire and place the berries inside the pot. Stir the contents around until the mixture becomes a little thick, as the berries will cook down and mix with the water. You should do this for about 5-7 minutes, or whenever you feel it's ready!" Nurse Joy explained. Everyone lifted the bowl of berries and dumped them into the pot. They all grabbed a long wooden stirrer and became stirring the berries within the pot. While Aly was stirring, she was reading more of the manual under the "Pokemon Health" section.

"_Hm, it seems that these plain berries have status health effects on Pokemon too. Pecha berries help with poison, Cheri berries for paralysis...this is pretty interesting stuff._" She thought to herself, getting excited.

"There are some pretty interesting things about raising healthy Pokemon in here Justin! Did you know Cheri and Pecha berries can heal status effects? They can also be used for medicine too!"

"You seem to be really into that health stuff eh?" Justin said to Aly.

"I guess so, yeah!" Aly remarked with a smile before going back to stirring. Justin smiled back and continued to look at her.

"_This is the happiest I've ever seen of Aly. Good for her!"_ He thought to himself. Justin then looked over to his right and saw another trainer stirring her pot. She fed some of the leftover berries to her Pokemon, who was sitting on the table next to her. It was a yellow mouse-like Pokemon with a zigzag tail and red circles on its cheeks.

"Hey, that's a cute Pikachu you got there." Justin said to her. The trainer looked up to see who spoke.

"Oh...why thank you. I'm always taking care of Pikachu to make sure it's in top shape." She replied as she petted Pikachu's head. The yellow mouse Pokemon smiled and cried out cheerfully.

"Is that your Eevee?" She asked back.

"Yep! She was my first Pokemon on my journey." Justin replied, petting Eevee on its head.

"It's quite a cutie! You must take care of it very well."

"For sure! By the way, my name is Justin! Justin Riser!"

"I'm Rika from Ruby City!" Eevee and Rika's Pikachu met up and started talking with each other. Justin and Rika continued to converse while stirring their Poffin contents. Aly was too busy writing down notes from the manual on her notepad while stirring her berry contents. She looked up at Justin and saw him talking to another female trainer. Aly felt a little sense of irritation and worry. She was about to let it be until she saw Justin's pot about to overflow.

"JUSTIN! WATCH YOUR POT!" Aly cried out to him. Justin stopped talking and looked at his pot. It was bubbling a lot and the mixture was about to rise out of the pot. He lifted the pot from the stove in time for the contents to settle down.

"That was close...Thanks Aly. You always seem to help me when I need it." Justin said with a wink.

Aly blushed slightly and then turned her face away with an annoyed expression. "Well...maybe you should pay more attention to your pot."

"Heh heh...I guess you're right." Justin smiled as he scratched his head. He then turned to Rika and told her they should probably focus on their Poffins right now. Rika agreed and the 2 turned their attention to their pots. Nurse Joy came by to everyone's station to check on their contents.

"I think yours looks ready now," Nurse Joy told Aly. Aly then turned down the heat from the stove.

"Now, pour your contents into the pantry gaps. Once the contents cool, they will take harden into the shape of the gap. After that, you can test them out!"

"That's great, thanks Nurse Joy!" Aly said. She raised her pot and poured the mixture into the gaps of the pantry. Once finished, she put back down the pot.

"Boy...I really hope this thing turns out ok..." Aly said nervously.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Justin remarked back to her.

"We'll see I guess. I really want to make all sorts of different poffin snacks for my Pokemon for their taste liking and health."

"Hey, it's only our first try. So if it doesn't work out, don't worry. We just keep on practising!"

"You're right Justin!" Aly smiled. She then turned her head at Squirtle.

"Squirtle, Squirt!" Squirtle cried out happily, echoing the same thing as Justin. She then turned back towards Justin's direction.

"By the way Justin, how are yours-"She cut herself off when she saw Justin talking with Rika again. Aly then let out a big sigh of disappointment which Squirtle noticed. It then tugged on its trainer's arm.

"Oh, don't mind me Squirtle. I'm fine..." Aly smiled back at her Pokemon. She then looked back down.

"_Why am I feeling this way...Justin's just talking with another girl..." _She thought to herself.

"All right everyone! The Poffins are going to take a little while to cool off. Let's meet back here in about 20 minutes. Then we can have our Pokemon try your own-made Poffins!" Nurse Joy announced. All the other trainers got up and began to leave. They all seemed to have gotten to know each other as they conversed while walking through the door. Aly was packed all her things and walked with Squirtle to a nearby bench. She began reading more of the manual again.

"Raising healthy Pokemon involves taking care of many areas such as diet, exercise and overall appearance..." She read out loud. All of a sudden, she heard footsteps coming her way. She looked up and saw Justin, with Eevee on his shoulder in front of her. Aly felt happiness inside her about seeing his face before noticing the same girl he was talking to before beside him.

"Oh...hey Justin," Aly said softly.

"Aly, I'd like you to meet Rika. She was right beside me during the whole class. She's actually pretty good at these things but is taking this class to practise and potentially learn more." Justin said as he pointed to Rika.

"Hello there! It's nice to meet you!" Rika smiled.

"Um...hi, nice to meet you to," Aly responded.

"Aly, I'm going to go with Rika for a bit. She wants to show me something. Catch you later."

"Oh...wait, I..." Aly cut herself off again as Justin quickly turned around and walked with Rika. She sat still until they both walked through the door. She had a blank look on her face.

"_What...What is this?" _ She thought to herself. Her heart was beating faster than normal.

* * *

20 minutes had passed and all the other participant trainers came back to check on their Poffins. Aly just sat at her station for the waiting time, rethinking what she was feeling and what had just occurred. She tried to read the manual for more learning, but couldn't. Moments later, Justin walked in and made his way to his Poffins. Aly didn't bother looking up at them.

"Hey Aly...Um, is everything all right?" Justin asked concernedly.

"Yeah...I'm good." Aly said softly as she looked up. "Wait...where's Rika?"

"Oh, she said she was going to be a little late. Got a call from her parents."

"Oh I see...if you don't mind me asking...ummmm..." Aly stuttered with her question.

"What is it Aly?" Justin asked.

"What is it that you did with Rika during that time? I mean...she invited you somewhere alone, so..." Aly turned her head away, expecting an answer she didn't want to hear.

"Oh that? Here...check it!" Justin exclaimed as he reached into his bag. Aly faced him and looked on. He then pulled an old notebook that looked like it was used before.

"Um...what is it?" Aly asked curiously.

"It's Rika's old logs of Poffin making! She had an extra copy on her. It has advanced notes about making Poffins, old recipes, different health benefits of Poffins, and much more. She told me that it would be a good reference for you in case." Justin explained.

"Wait...that was it?"

"Yeah! She noticed that you were really into making Poffins and learning about raising healthy Pokemon. She's a Pokemon breeder, you know? I echoed the same observations, noting that this was the happiest I've seen you be and I wanted to help you out. So, she thought that her old logs might be a good reference for you while we're travelling. I asked if she had anything around for you, and luckily she gave me these notes. I hope they'll help." Justin handed her the old log book. Aly' eyes opened up widely as she slowly took the log book.

"Wow Justin...you really want to help..." She said softly as she looked back up at him.

"Of course I do! You're an important person Aly!" Justin smiled. Aly blushed even more now, but began to giggle a bit.

"Umm...what's so funny?" Justin asked confusedly. Aly settled herself down after that comment.

"Oh, it's nothing. Aly replied as she put her hand on his. Justin looked down to see what Aly just did. As he looked up, he saw that Aly leaned in close where their faces were nearly touching.

"Thank you Justin." She said happily, putting on a cute smile and seeing more redness on Justin's face.

* * *

Everyone's poffins had just finished cooling that they were now solids. The trainers were calling out their Pokemon to have them sample their fresh baked Poffins. Justin and Aly did the same as they brought out all their Pokemon from their Pokeballs.

"All right Squirtle and Vulpix. Try these!" Aly said as she held out a plate of her Poffins. Squirtle grabbed it with its arms, put it into its mouth and started chewing. Vulpix reached its mouth at the plate and picked one up to eat.

"So? How are they?" She asked. Squirtle started to squint and grimace.

"Oh...too sweet for you, huh?" Aly sighed. Squirtle nodded, but smiled as it reluctantly gulped down the poffin.

"Vul-pix!" Vulpix cried out happily. It was smiling while chewing on the Poffin before swallowing it.

"Wow Vulpix, do you like it?" Aly asked excitedly. Vulpix nodded before going in to eat some more. She looked over to Justin to see how his Pokemon faired.

"All right guys, here are the poffins I made! I'm not really sure what flavour it is, but let's be adventurous and eat it!" He said to all of them. Eevee, Combusken and Mudkip looked at each other with uncertainty. They took one poffin from the plate and began chewing. Combusken and Mudkip both smiled and cried out happily.

"All right! My poffin is a success!" Justin said happily. He then turned to Eevee, who then shot a mini flamethrower out of its mouth. It ran around the room, shooting more flamethrowers. Justin quickly grabbed a water bottle from his bag and tipped it towards Eevee's mouth. The Pokemon put its mouth on the tip and began to drink.

"Well, I guess it's a little too spicy for ya, eh Eevee?" Justin giggled. Eevee turned its head to the side, with a sassy expression.

"Hey! No need to be like that!" Justin tried to make up with Eevee, who was still giving him sass treatment. Aly took a poffin from her plate and walked over to them.

"Hey Eevee! Try one of my poffins." Aly suggested. She kneeled down and put the poffin in Eevee's open mouth. Eevee began chewing and after a bit, it smiled brightly.

"Ee-vy!" It cried out happily, jumping up and down.

"Aww, Eevee likes my poffins!" Aly squealed.

"Oh...you're right..."Justin said.

"Well, we girls like really sweet things. Right Eevee?!"

"Ee-vy!" Eevee agreed with Aly as they both looked at Justin, and then back at each other giggling. Justin didn't understand what they were insinuating, but noticed his poffin plate behind Aly

"Well check this out! Squirtle seems to be enjoying my poffins." Justin exclaimed. Aly looked over as her pokemon, Combusken and Mudkip were sharing the rest of Justin's poffins on the plate.

"That's so cool! You gotta give me the recipe for that!" Aly exclaimed.

"Sure! No problem!" Justin responded.

"Hey guys!" a voice called out from their right. They both looked over to find Rika walking up to them. "How are your poffins?"

"They're pretty good. We found out that-"Justin began the conversation with Rika as they both, along with Aly, began to talk more about poffins, Pokemon and much more.

* * *

"Well, I guess we should head to our rooms now." Aly suggested. Justin and Rika both nodded as they all began to leave the kitchen. Eevee and Squirtle went back into their respective positions with their trainers.

"Thanks for leading this Poffin-cooking class Nurse Joy! I learned a lot!" Aly remarked.

"Oh it's my pleasure! Good luck to you all with your future poffins!" Nurse joy said happily. The group smiled and waved while they walked out of the kitchen. They made their way to the bedroom halls where they were about to go into their spate rooms.

"I'm sorry guys. I'm getting up extra early tomorrow morning for some important errands, so I'm afraid this will be goodbye. Good luck on your upcoming gym battle Justin!"

"I see...well, it was very nice meeting you Rika! I had a blast with you making poffins!' Justin exclaimed as they both shook hands. Rika petted Eevee on the head as Eevee nuzzled against her hand.

"And Aly, it was nice meeting you too. Good luck with your journey." Rika said to Aly.

"Thanks Rika, I'll try my best! And thanks for your old log notes. I'll make good use of them,' Aly exclaimed.

"No problem at all! You know, you're lucky to have a guy like Justin as your friend. I can tell that he cares about you."

"Yeah...he sure does..." Aly smiled as she looked back at Justin. Justin looked her way and smiled.

"Anyways, see you later!" Rika said as she walked into her room and closed the door.

"Well Aly, good night. I'll see you in the morning ok?" Justin remarked.

"Yeah. Good night Justin," Aly smiled. Justin walked back into his room and shut the door. Aly just stood there looking at the closed door smiling. Squirtle, in her arms, looked up at her.

"_Thank you... Justin Riser..."_


	15. Chapter 15 - Leader

_**A/N: Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians. Short chapter here, Team immortal special. Remember to review if you have any feedback/input.**_

**Chapter 15: Leader**

There was a big group of Team Immortal grunts in the main meeting area of the Team Immortal headquarters base. It was a large room with silver walls, portraits of ancient history mounted on the wall, and an upper deck at the end of the room. All the grunts were on the lower level conversing with each other before the big meeting they had to attend. Among the grunts in the crowd was Caius and Raiza.

"Raiza, you think Commander Hades was successful in his mission at Ruby City?" Caius asked.

"Without a doubt. It's Commander Hades of course." Raiza said sternly.

"Awesome! One more step towards Team Immortal's plan!"

"Yes…indeed."

"Bro, you're such a buzzkill. Would it hurt to be a little more excited?" Caius remarked.

"…I guess…" Raiza said sheepishly. Caius gave him a weird look before turning around. A few moments after, the door on the upper deck slid open. Out came a hooded figure wearing white robes with gold outlining. The hood covered the top half of his face with a shadow, while his nose and mouth were visible.

"Raiza! It's the leader of Team Immortal!" Caius exclaimed giddily.

"I can see that." Raiza remarked. The whole room went silent as all the grunts made their way into a formation that consisted of them standing in straight lines, saluting the regarded figure. The one and only leader of Team Immortal had called all Team Immortal Grunts for a very important announcement. Each member had a serious look on their face, but on the inside they were in awe. The leader raised his hand, signalling all of his subordinates to drop the formalities.

"My fellow brothers!" The leader announced gracefully. All of a sudden, the vibe in the room went from serious to free and relaxed. All the grunts had happy expressions on their faces as they listened to their leader. Caius had a huge smile on his face, while Raiza maintained his seriousness.

"I can officially say, that Commander Hades and his team have successfully captured the Ruby Jewel! With this, the first step of our master plan is complete!" The room erupted with loud cheering and clapping. The leader let it go for a bit before waving his arm, causing the room to be silent again.

"With that said, I have some unfortunate news to share as well. A few of our fellow brothers weren't so lucky. They were defeated and got caught by our new enemy in the police. Now, we can't let their hard work go to waste! Think about those people when you perform your next assignments. Then, by the time our mission is complete, everyone in the world will be better off!" The leader declared.

Every grunt in the room broke out into celebratory cheers. Caius was jumping up and down with some of the other grunts while Raiza just stood still. The leader then walked away back through the automated door on the upper deck. A man in a suit came his way through that same door and walked up to the railing of the deck.

"Attention! I'm looking for #21 Caius, and #76 Raiza! Meet Commander Hades in his office immediately!" The gentleman shouted before exiting through the door. Every grunt in the room looked at Caius and Raiza.

"Sounds like Hades wants to meet us." Raiza remarked.

"You think? C'mon, let's go." Caius said as he and his partner made their way through the room before walking through the exit doors. Hades office was on the fourth floor, which required the 2 to take the elevator. After a couple of minutes of venturing through the headquarters, they walked through a door into an office. It was a very classy office that had red carpet, sleek brown furniture, and a big window showing off the outside of headquarters. In the middle of the room was a desk and a chair that sat someone in brown robes, a black cape and a red mask. Caius and Raiza stood up straight and raised their left hand to salute the commander.

"At ease, gentlemen." Hades spoke. The 2 grunts then noticed a familiar figure standing above Hades' chair. It was the leader of Team Immortal.

"Zeus, I believe you wanted to hear from these 2?" Hades asked his higher-in-command. Zeus began to walk over in Caius and Raiza's direction. His face was still half-covered by the shadow from his hooded white robe.

"Caius and Raiza…it's been awhile, my friends." Zeus remarked calmly.

"It's good to see you again sir," Raiza responded.

"Likewise. Now, from what Hades told me, you ran into a certain trainer on both of your previous missions."

"Yeah man! Both of them were sure a handful to deal with. We sure did underestimate them." Caius exclaimed.

"I see. Well, do you guys remember their names?"

"Um, I think…right! Justin Riser was his name. That kid was an overly-giddy one for sure!" Zeus' expression went from intrigued to shock. He didn't say a word back to Caius and just stood still. Hades looked on and walked to his side.

"Is everything all right sir?" Raiza asked. Zeus regained his senses and dropped his uneasiness.

"Yeah…its fine…Hades said he encountered him at Ruby City. I'm just reconfirming since he mentioned you encountered a similar trainer." Zeus said.

"Well, yes we did. He's quite the trainer too…for a beginner. The way he handles his Pokemon, the moves he comes up with during battle, you'd think he was an experienced trainer or something!" Caius exclaimed in an informal tone.

"He has a companion named Aly as well. She doesn't have the same energy or confidence as Justin, but can still battle. For some reason, she seems to hold back." Raiza deducted

"I see…" Zeus mumbled. Caius and Raiza looked at each other, confused about the sudden personality change in the leader.

"Very good. Hades, give them their next mission. Caius, Raiza, I'll see you both again, my brothers." Zeus said as he patted the 2 grunts' heads before making his way to the door. Hades stopped him by putting his hand on Zeus' shoulder.

"You sure you're all right." Hades asked concernedly. Zeus smiled and put his hand on Hades'

"Yes, I'm fine." Zeus remarked as he then walked out of Hades' office.

"Bro! He just patted us on the head!" Caius cried out happily.

"Buddy, relax. Come back to Earth and listen to Commander Hades." Raiza snapped. Both shifted their attention to the masked man.

"Now, from you're last mission at Amethyst Lake, you both tested the device on extracting energy out of Pokemon. This time, we'd like you both to go to Courage Mountain. The next device you'll be experimenting with is one that transfers a previous host's energy that was extracted, directly into Pokemon." Hades explained. He then walked over to his desk and turned on a projector that displayed his laptop screen up on the wall. There were bar charts, running calculations and a lot of extensive data being shown.

"We've kept the extracted energy from that Tentacruel in the lab, so use that. From our data analysis group, they've verified that it's ready to be used in the field. Find another strong Pokemon and make it your target. Other important details like how to work the device and major objectives are in your memos. Understood?"

"Yes sir!" Caius and Raiza announced as they saluted their commander.

"All right boys. Move out!"


End file.
